Clansman trial on hold

Due to the unavailability of presiding judge, Chief Justice Bryan Sykes, the Clansman-One Don Gang trial has been adjourned until tomorrow.

The matter was scheduled to resume today but had to be postponed as Sykes had a previous engagement.

When the matter resumes tomorrow, the prosecution will continue to respond to the no-case submissions for 24 of the remaining 28 defendants. 

Initially, 33 defendants including alleged gang leader Andre 'Blackman' Bryan were charged on a 25 count indictment under the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisation's) Act and the Firearms Act.  

But five of the defendants were recently freed while the prosecution abandoned six of the counts. 

Before the start of the no-case submissions last Monday, Damaine Elliston, Rushane Williams, Revaldo Hylton and Owen Ormsby were found not guilty by Sykes after the Crown indicated that it did not have sufficient evidence to prove its case against the men. 

The fifth defendant, Dwayne Salmon, was freed after the judge upheld a no-case submission by his lawyer Kemar Robinson while rejecting an application from the prosecution to amend the indictment so that he could be charged with an additional count of knowingly providing a benefit to a criminal organization. 

Sykes, in rejecting the application, said that the amendment would cause severe injustice to Salmon. 

The 31-year-old construction worker, who was alleged to be the gang's gunsmith and supplier, was initially charged with being a member of a criminal organisation and illegal possession of firearm but the gun charge was conceded by the prosecution. 

The other four were also each indicted for being a member of a criminal organisation and for facilitating the commission of murder. 

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