Damning evidence in Kartel trial

BY PAUL HENRY

Co-ordinator – Crime/Court Desk

henryp@jamaicaobserver.com

DAMNING texts painting a picture of events leading up to the disappearance of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams on August 16, 2011 were read in court yesterday during the murder trial of entertainer Vybz Kartel and his four co-accused.

In a flurry of texts, believed to have been exchanged between Williams and his girlfriend Onieka Jackson, Williams said Vybz Kartel was going to kill him and repeatedly begged her to call the police and a person he referred to as Nadine.

“U have to save me,” he said in one message.

Williams said he was running scared and that he was in a car heading to Havendale and begged desperately for Jackson to “hurry”.

Kartel and his co-accused sat in the prisoners’ dock straight-faced as the texts were displayed and read by Corporal Sean Brown of the Organised Crime Investigation Division to an attentive jury in the Home Circuit Court.

Brown attributed the name Kartel to one of the numbers in his display. To another he attributed the name Shawn for accused Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell.

Justice Lennox Campbell had ruled earlier that any number that sent texts to Campbell without the sender being identified must not be shown to jurors.

Before the display was entered into evidence and the texts read, defence attorneys objected, saying that the information could not be verified because the disc JS1 is missing. Digicel official Joseph Simmonds testified yesterday under cross-examination that the disappearance of the disc has “robbed us of the opportunity” to cross-verify the information that was being presented.

Vybz Kartel (real name Adidja Palmer), Campbell, Shane Williams, Andre St John, and Kahira Jones are being tried for Williams’ murder. The prosecution is contending that Williams was beaten to death at a home in Havendale, St Andrew over the disappearance of an illegal gun.

The texts read in court yesterday were sent between August 8 and August 16, 2011, the day Williams was killed.

On August 14, Williams sent a text to the number attributed to Vybz Kartel: “Daddy a little thing gwaaan mi an we really want talk to you daddy.”

The next message read is believed to be a text Campbell sent to Vybz Kartel on August 16, saying: “Mi boss wi affi get bak dem ting deh me boss.”

There were a number of pre-dawn texts between the two which ran for a minute, according to the data presented.

Then at 1:11 pm on August 16 Campbell sent a text to a 844-5320 number. “Sum ting a gwaan pon di ends,” the text read. Then: “A dats why mi neva link yuh.” He then texted the same number: “And a serious ting cus ppl ago ded. Dont tell mammy nuttin.”

In another text sent a minute later, Campbell wrote: “And delete dem txt yah wen mi done txt yuh”.

At 1:20 pm Campbell again texted the 844-5320 number: “And a who tief it ago ded.”

A minute later Campbell sent another text, “Soon mek you know waaah go gwaaaan,” which was followed some 20 minutes later by another, “How much fi deal wid everything fi lizzy.”

At 6:53 that day, Williams sent a message to his girlfriend, Jackson. “Baby teacha send call.”

“Wha u goin to do bbz,” she responded.

Based on the text that followed, Williams apparently tried calling Jackson but the phone went unanswered.

Minutes later, at 6:58 pm, Williams told Jackson in a text: “I am really SCARDE baby please call the police u have to save me please.”

“Jus u alone,” Jackson said.

“Please tell NADINE to call the police for me please you have to do it now please,” Williams replied.

Then at 7:08 pm Williams told Jackson, “Tell them VYBZ Katel ago kill we please baby.”

A minute later he wrote: “Please u have to hurry up.”

At 7:11 pm Williams texted: “SHAWN cant save we please we in a need fa car a drive go up there.”

“Baby r u sure wats the address bbz,” Jackson responded at 7:13 pm.

“Tell NADINE fe call police please an ridge please please fast fast,” Williams texted.

In response to Jackson’s text about the address, Williams said, “Baby please all mi know a havendale please please tell them look fi need fa car.”

At 7:18 Williams sent another text: “Mi de a red hill road a go up please please.”

Jackson responded, “OK baby I am praying for u … tht nothing doesnt happens but I will call.”

At 7:20 pm Williams texted: “Tell NADINE don’t stop please call every min.”

More texts are expected to be read when the trial continues today.