Clansman Gang Trial | Case again adjourned

The Clansman-One Don Gang trial has been adjourned until July 25. 

It was postponed after attorney-at-law Esther Reid fell ill. 

Reid represents Tareek James.

A police sergeant was expected to give evidence today in James' case.

The 22-year-old defendant is alleged to have shot and killed a man called 'Outlaw' in Spanish Town, St Catherine on November 2, 2017. 

James is alleged to have been the bodyguard for reputed leader Andre 'Blackman' Bryan.

The court heard that Bryan had instructed James to carry out the hit and the target was killed. 

But James' attorneys, Esther Reid and Marlon Wilson, are contending that he was not the shooter and that someone else has already been charged and is before the court. 

The police sergeant was subpoenaed to give evidence in that regard. 

James is the last of the remaining 28 defendants who is yet to complete his case. 

Three other defendants, Pete Miller, Donavan Richards and Kalifa Williams, yesterday completed their cases after the Crown and their lawyers agreed to accept as fact State records pertaining to their arrest and detention. 

All three defendants and James had requested records from the Spanish Town Police Station and the Horizon Adult Remand Centre to prove that they were in custody when they were accused of committing murders for the alleged gang. 

The records, which were read into evidence, placed all four in custody at the time when they were accused of taking part in separate murders. 

However, in another murder incident for which James is charged, the record showed that he had been released, while in Williams' case, the Crown had abandoned one of the murder matters while the judge had upheld his no-case submission in the other incident. 

Besides all the murder matters, all four are also charged with being a member of a criminal organisation.

The remaining defendants before the court are being tried on an indictment with various charges under the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organizations) Act and the Firearms Act.

Initially, 33 defendants were indicted but five were freed. 

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