Dancehall artiste Desmond Ballentine, better known by his stage name Ninjaman, and his son Jahniel are to spend their second consecutive Christmas behind bars, after more than a year in police custody on gun and murder charges.

Lawyers representing the father and son, who are charged with the March 16, 2009 murder of Ricardo ‘Ricky Trooper’ Johnson, failed to obtain bail for the men when they appeared in the Home Circuit Court on Friday.

The two were denied bail on the grounds that the witnesses in the case were being threatened.

According to the police, Ninjaman and his son were allegedly among a group of men who drove up in a grey motor vehicle and opened gunfire on Johnson as he swept his yard at Marl Road in Kingston.

Ninjaman surrendered to the police, a week after the incident, while the other accused men were later held in St Ann in April.

Clayton Dennis and Seymour Samuels were also charged in relation to the matter.

The Ballentines however, will return to court on January 14, when another attempt will made to secure their bail.

Ninjaman is being represented by Bert Samuels, while Charles Ganga-Singh represents the younger Ballentine.