Jamaican dancehall artist Vybz Kartel has seen a significant legal turnabout as his murder conviction has been overturned.
The 48-year-old artist, born Adidja Palmer, had been serving a life sentence since 2014 for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams in Jamaica. However, his successful appeal, heard by the Privy Council in London, hinged on the argument that a juror accused of attempting to bribe others should have been disqualified from the trial.
With the Privy Council ruling in his favor, the Jamaican authorities must now decide whether to pursue a retrial in the case.
Renowned for his musical talent and collaborations with industry giants like Jay-Z and Rihanna, Vybz Kartel has long been a prominent figure in Jamaica’s entertainment scene. His trial, spanning an unprecedented 64 days, resulted in a minimum sentence of 35 years in prison, later reduced to 32-and-a-half years.
During the trial, it emerged that the victim, Clive Williams, and an associate were entrusted with firearms by Kartel for safekeeping. When they failed to return the weapons, they were reportedly summoned to Kartel’s residence and allegedly subjected to an assault. Despite the destruction of the house, Clive Williams’ remains were never recovered.
Throughout the trial, Kartel and his co-accused, Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John, steadfastly maintained their innocence.
In their appeal before the Privy Council, the defendants argued that the failure to remove the juror accused of bribery compromised the fairness of the verdict, a contention upheld by the council. The court deemed the presence of the implicated juror “fatal to the safety of the convictions” and a violation of the defendants’ right to a fair trial.
Although additional concerns were raised, the focus of the panel remained on the gravity of the bribery allegations, ultimately leading to the dismissal of the guilty verdicts.
Beyond his musical achievements, Vybz Kartel has diversified his portfolio with ventures spanning footwear, alcohol brands, and condom lines. Additionally, he made history as the first dancehall artist to headline his own reality TV show, “Teacha’s Pet.”
