Court to rule today on gang membership

Twenty-five of the remaining alleged members of the Clansman-One Don Gang are to know today whether they will be convicted of being a part of a criminal organisation.

Reputed leader of the St Catherine-based gang, Andre ‘Blackman’ Bryan, will also hear Chief Justice Bryan Sykes’ official ruling on the count for leadership of a criminal organisation.

But, the judge has already signalled that he is satisfied that Bryan is the leader of the gang, based on the evidence presented in the trial.

Similarly, Justice Sykes has also indicated that the evidence has established that some of the defendants are members. Those named were Ted Prince, Tareek James, Jahzeal Blake, Andre Golding, Fabian Johnson, and Stephanie Cole-Christie.

Although the judge did not give any indication as to how he would rule in respect of defendant Roel Taylor, he had found him guilty of possession of firearm and ammunition for a rifle that was found at his furniture store in 2018.

The court heard evidence that Taylor, who is Bryan’s cousin, was a foot soldier in the gang. Taylor, however, is contending that he is a furniture maker and was not part of any gang.

Two former members of the gang, who are the prosecution’s main witnesses, had testified that Bryan was the leader and had detailed several murder and shooting incidents, which he had planned and executed with the help of alleged gang members.

WITNESSES CREDIBLE

Justice Sykes, who has found the two witnesses to be generally credible and reliable, said the evidence given by them has shown Bryan to be a meticulous leader and planner, who was very keen on details. The judge noted that he would plan from beginning to end and that it was clear that members could not act without his approval.

In the meantime, Bryan was on Monday found guilty of facilitating two murders that the gang had committed.

He was found guilty of knowingly facilitating the gang’s double murder of a couple in New Nursery Fisheries, St Catherine, and the setting of their house on fire in September 2017.

His co-defendants, Jahzeel Blake, Dylan McLean and Tareek James, were also found guilty of knowingly facilitating the commission of murder by a criminal organisation.

The four men were also convicted of knowingly facilitating arson of a dwelling house.

Brian Morris and Michael Whitely were, however, found not guilty of facilitating the gang’s commission of the double murder and arson.

The judge, in acquitting them, explained that there were identification issues with the evidence given by one of the witnesses in terms of his ability to see the men who he claimed were present at a meeting before the Fisheries mission. The witness had failed to indicate whether there was lighting that night and by what means.

The witness, who had placed them among the gangsters who were present, did not indicate how he was able to see them. As result, the judge noted that they could not accept the evidence.

In the other count, Bryan was found guilty of facilitating the gang’s murder of a supermarket worker at Chancery Street in St Andrew in August 2017.

Two other defendants, Tomric Taylor and Jahzeal Blake were charged on the count with Bryan, but the judge had ruled that they did not have a case to answer.

Justice Sykes, however, indicated that although the count had failed because they were not present on the night the man was murdered, the evidence showed that they were involved in two previous unsuccessful attempts on the man’s life, and as such, this evidence will be used in determining whether they are members of the gang.

Along with the membership and leadership, Justice Sykes is also to rule on the Bryan’s and defendants Lamar Simpson and Ted Prince’s involvement in the alleged murder of a man at Phil’s Hardware in Spanish Town, St Catherine in January 2018.

In that murder, it is alleged that the man, who was on Bryan’s hit list, was killed by Prince after Bryan saw him near his base on Jones Avenue and told Prince, “nyam di food”.

This was after Prince reportedly he said to Bryan “You a fi mi Teacha” and asked, “weh mi fi do?”

The court was also told that when Bryan was told that the man and others were spotted in the area, he remarked, “Dem bwoy a ramp wid di badness.”

AFFRONTED

Justice Sykes said the evidence suggested that Bryan saw the men’s presence in the community as an affront.

The judge said it appears as if Bryan was saying, “How dear you come strolling around these parts! Don’t you know who I am!”

One of the ex-gangsters, who had detailed that incident, also testified that before the shooting, he had collected ammunition from Simpson, who hid it in his car trunk and told him to avoid the Spanish Town Bypass on his return to Jones Avenue.

The judge, in assessing the evidence, said the ingredients for conspiracy have been satisfied as well as for facilitating.

Since the judge started handing down his verdict, only one defendant, Carl Beech, was freed.

Five others were previously freed during the no-case submission stage and one was killed last August.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com