Vybz Kartel Sentencing Delayed

KINGSTON, Jamaica CMC – The sentencing of entertainer Vybz Kartel and his co-accused Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St John has been delayed until Thursday, April 3.

In court on Thursday morning, the Judge Justice Lennox Campbell asked the defense team to provide some pertinent information before going ahead with handing down the sentences.

On March 13, Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, fellow entertainer Shawn “Shawn Storm” Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St John were convicted for the August 16, 2011 murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams.

The sentencing will be the final stage of the record 65 day trial, which lasted for roughly five months.

Under Jamaican law, the penalty for murder is death, but since 1992 no convicted murderer has been executed, despite calls from the populace for the penalty to be utilized and a majority vote by legislators in Parliament in November 2008 in favour of retaining the penalty.

Meanwhile, Kartel faces more legal challenges, as he is scheduled to stand trial in court on August 11, for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He’s charged jointly with entertainers, Vanessa Saddler otherwise called “Gaza Slim” and Andre Henry otherwise called “Pim Pim”.

The three were charged in 2012, following an investigation into a scheme to deceive the police in their probe of the murder of Williams.