Vybz Kartel’s Murder Conviction Overturned by Privy Council

Jamaican dancehall artist Vybz Kartel has had his murder conviction overturned by the Privy Council in London. The 48-year-old, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, was sentenced to life in prison in 2014 for the killing of Clive “Lizard” Williams in Jamaica.

The successful appeal argued that a juror accused of attempting to bribe others should have been dismissed from the trial. Kartel’s legal team contended that this juror’s presence compromised the fairness of the trial. Now, authorities in Jamaica will decide whether to retry the case.

Kartel, one of Jamaica’s most popular musicians, faced a lengthy trial that lasted 64 days, one of the longest in the country’s history. Initially sentenced to serve a minimum of 35 years, his term was later reduced to 32-and-a-half years.

During the trial, it was alleged that victim Clive Williams and another man, Lamar Chow, were given firearms belonging to Kartel for safekeeping. When they failed to return them, they were reportedly summoned to Kartel’s house, where they were attacked. Williams was said to have disappeared, and his body was never found.

Kartel and his co-accused Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John maintained their innocence throughout the proceedings. Their appeal, heard by The Privy Council, was their final opportunity to challenge the verdict.

The council’s ruling cited the failure to remove the juror accused of bribery as “fatal to the safety of the convictions.” It was deemed an infringement of the defendants’ right to a fair trial. Additionally, concerns were raised about the timing of the jury’s deliberations and the admissibility of certain evidence, including mobile phone data allegedly obtained improperly.