‘Clans’ trial delayed as alleged gangster falls ill Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

Tareek James, the final alleged member of the One Don faction of the Clansman gang mounting his defence at the ongoing trial, fell ill on Tuesday.

The trial, which resumed on Monday after several delays over the past two weeks, was adjourned until Monday, July 25 in the Home Circuit Court where 28 defendants are on trial for a raft of criminal offences, including murder.

The court was expected to hear evidence from a final witness, a police detective, on whether another individual had been charged with the murder of a man called ‘Outlaw’ when James took ill.

James is accused of murdering ‘Outlaw’ at the behest of the alleged leader of the One Don faction of the Clansman, Andre ‘Blackman’ Bryan. The murder took place in Spanish Town, St Catherine on November 2, 2017.

James’ attorney, Esther Reid, has been adamant that her client was not the shooter, and the police had, in fact, arrested and charged another individual with that murder.

The detective has been subpoenaed to testify

On Monday, three defendants closed their cases after defendants Kalifa Williams, who is represented by attorney Abina Morris; Pete Miller, who is represented by attorneys Gavin Stewart and Shadday Bailey; and Donovan Richards, who is represented by attorney Denise Hinson, closed theirs.

This was after the prosecution and defence attorneys agreed on records of the men’s detention in custody.

The defence attorneys had requested and subsequently received records from the Horizon Remand Centre and the Spanish Town Police Station about their clients’ respective detentions.

The attorneys are trying to use the relevant records to prove that all four defendants were in custody when the criminal acts that they are accused of committing were carried out.

James’ attorney, Esther Reid, has also agreed with prosecutors on records relative to the detention of her client.

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

In relation to James, the records showed that he was detained at the Spanish Town Police Station on November 7, 2017, days after the murder of ‘Outlaw’. He has remained in police custody to date.

This means that James had been in detention when a bus driver was murdered in Spanish Town on November 15, 2017.

Still, James’ detention would not absolve him of participating in the September 2017 arson and double murder of Jermaine Robinson and his girlfriend Cedella Walder in New Nursery or ‘Fisheries’ in Spanish Town.

The prosecution has accused James of being one of the alleged leader’s bodyguards.

For defendant Pete Miller, he was accused of participating in the murder of two men at a playground in Rivoli in Spanish Town between March 10 and 15, 2017.

But his detention records show that he was in police custody at the time of those killings.

The records revealed that he was first arrested on November 20, 2012, and held in custody at Horizon Remand Centre until his release on August 11, 2017.

He was rearrested in September 2018, and has been in custody since that time.

The 28 accused are being tried under the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations Act), 2014, better known as the Anti-gang Legislation, on an indictment containing several counts.

The offences were allegedly committed between January 1, 2015, and June 30, 2019, mainly in St Catherine, with at least one murder committed in St Andrew.

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