Vybz Kartel, co-convicts await Valentine’s Day appeal

Wednesday, February 14, 2024, Valentine's Day, is the start date for Vybz Kartel, Shawn Storm, Kahira Jones and Andre St John to have their appeal for a murder conviction heard by the Privy Council in England.

The quartet share a similarity with reggae artiste Buju Banton, whose retrial in a federal court in Florida also started on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2011. The appeal date has been pushed up from April and while Isat Buchanan and Bert Samuels, two of the lawyers representing the men, have declared readiness, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn, was a little cautious in her response.

"Born fi dis," was a jubilant Buchanan's response to THE STAR, when quizzed about the level of preparedness of his team to take their case to the Privy Council on February 14 and 15. Buchanan is representing Vybz Kartel and is part of a nine-member team, including four lawyers from overseas.

An application for an expedited hearing was submitted to the Privy Council following what Buchanan described as his client's "medical health scare when placed in solitary confinement earlier this year". Vybz Kartel has been diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder Graves' disease as well as two heart-related conditions.

Samuels told THE STAR that he was not surprised that application for an expedited hearing was granted on humanitarian grounds.

"Prison is not a nice place, especially when you have health issues. Kartel has to have a special diet ... he can't eat everything ... and being in lockdown for hours on end only makes it worse. I am happy to know that it has been granted and yes, we are prepared," Samuels said.

Long journey

Outlining a timetable of the men's hurdles since they were arrested in 2011, through to their trial three years later, an appeal, the appeal's dismissal in 2020, the subsequent Privy Council appeal and finally securing a date three years later, Samuels noted that the journey has been long and his team is looking forward to their day in court.

Llewellyn said that she is aware that things were in motion.

"If the matter is now set for February it would leave us with a little less time, but I guess we would just have to play the hand we are dealt," she told THE STAR.

Vybz Kartel, whose given name is Adidja Palmer, and his co-convicts were all given mandatory life sentences in 2014 for the 2011 murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams. Initially, Vybz Kartel was handed a 35-year term before being eligible for parole, but the Court Of Appeal subsequently reduced his parole serving time to 32 years and six months.

St John, who had to serve 30 years before being eligible for parole, had his time reduced to 27 years and six months. Shawn Storm, given name Shawn Campbell, and Jones had their 25 years of servitude before being eligible reduced to 22 years and six months.

In February, the Privy Council rejected efforts by Vybz Kartel's legal team to introduce fresh evidence and additional grounds for appeal in the matter.