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Dressed in white with an orange bandana covering his face, dancehall star Vybz Kartel walked out of Kingston’s Tower Street Adult Correctional Facility today as a free man.
The 48-year-old artist was earlier released by the Court of Appeal after being incarcerated for 13 years.
Outside the prison, Vybz Kartel was greeted by enthusiastic fans, his fiancée Sidem Öztürk and Tommy Thompson, CEO of Brite Lite Funeral Home.
“Stay away from crime, it’s not worth it. Waste of time, waste of life,” were the first words he said before leaving in a white limousine.
The ruling came just hours after court president Marva McDonald-Bishop ruled against the retrial of Vybz Kartel and his three co-accused, ruling that there would be no retrial and acquitting them of the 2011 murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams.
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The court’s decision was unanimous. Justice McDonald-Bishop led the panel, which also included Justices Paulette Williams and David Fraser.
The judges cited several reasons for their decision, including the prosecution’s inadequate presentation of witnesses, the lengthy delay in retrial (an estimated 15 years), violations of the appellant’s right to a fair hearing in the first instance, possible prejudice against the appellant, and the complexity of the trial, including its length, cost, and other court resources.
Justice MacDonald-Bishop noted that the appellant had already been imprisoned for 13 years, which also influenced their decision.
Cattell, Sean “Shawn Storm” Campbell and Andre St. John were released from custody today. However, a fourth man charged, Kashila Jones, will remain in custody as he is serving a sentence for an unrelated offence.
read: Appeals Court orders release of Vybz Kartel and co-defendants
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