Judges in the UK have released Jamaican dancehall artist Vybz Kartel from prison after ruling against a retrial for his murder charge of killing Clive Williams in Jamaica.
According to reports, Kartel always maintained his innocence despite the Privy Council in London overturning his conviction.
Following this, on July 31, Jamaican authorities had the option to decide on a retrial. Hence, appeals judges in Jamaica chose not to retry the case, allowing Kartel, who is reportedly in poor health, to be freed.
During his 2014 trial, prosecutors claimed Kartel gave Clive Williams and Lamar Chow two unlicensed firearms for safekeeping.After they failed to return the guns, Kartel allegedly summoned them to his house and attacked them.
Despite this, Kartel and his co-accused, Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John, consistently asserted their innocence but received life sentences, with Kartel facing a minimum of 35 years.
Subsequently, after appealing in Jamaican courts, Kartel took his case to the Privy Council in London, the highest appellate court for Jamaica and other Commonwealth nations.
The London court agreed, ruling in March that the juror’s inclusion rendered Kartel’s conviction unsafe, citing a fundamental right to a fair trial.
Imprisoned in 2014, the 48-year-old, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, had his conviction overturned in March.
