RICARDO Lawrence, the 21-year-old son of Ned Lawrence, People’s National Party (PNP) councillor for the Dela Vega City Division in St Catherine, has been charged by Operation Kingfish detectives with murder and possession of firearm.

Lawrence, alias ‘Devil’, of Oxford Street in Spanish Town was charged following an identification parade which was held last Friday, the police said yesterday.

Police sources said that while attempting to arrest Lawrence he insisted his name was Jonathan Andrew Laing. He is scheduled to appear in court next week Wednesday.

Lawrence, the police said, was a member of the Spanish Town-based Clansman gang, said to be aligned to the ruling PNP. He was being sought by police following the police slaying of the gang’s leader, Donovan ‘Bulbie’ Bennett in October last year.

The police said then that they were requesting the assistance of Councillor Lawrence to take his son in for questioning as he was allegedly implicated in several murders in the old capital.

Lawrence is now jointly charged with Jason Brown, otherwise called ‘City Puss’ or ‘Flying Squad KiIler’, who was charged last October with the murder of Errol Miller, also known as ‘Cracker’ of Monk Street in Spanish Town. He is also charged with murder and illegal possession of firearm.

It is alleged that on Tuesday, October 19, 2005, at about midday, Brown, accompanied by a group of armed men, went to Monk Street where he shot and killed Errol Miller, a labourer.

The police alleged that Lawrence was among the group of men who accompanied Brown to Monk Street during the shooting.

According to a police source, Brown was deported from England in December 2004, and was arrested by the police on the September 22, 2005 in Portmore, St Catherine.

In the meantime, police said investigations were continuing into several reports of shooting where Brown has been the prime suspect.

Brown is to return to court on next Tuesday, where further charges are expected to be laid against him.