KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Appeal Court yesterday ordered a re-trial for Detective Constable Sherwood Simpson, who was serving a 15-year prison sentence for the 2013 attempted murder of a man in St Mary.

Simpson’s conviction in 2015 was the first victory for the Independent Commissions of Investigation (INDECOM) in its probe of the alleged death squads.

However, the court agreed with the policeman’s appeal and overturned the conviction yesterday morning.

Prosecutors provided evidence that on December 24, 2013, Simpson and members of a police team based at the Constant Spring Police Station took the civillian from a bus in Lawrence Tavern, St Andrew.

The man, who was on bail on a gun related charge, had just reported to the station as a condition of his bail.

He was reportedly taken to St Mary where he was shot in the back of the head and left for dead in bushes.

The man survived and reported the matter to INDECOM.

At his trial, Simpson presented evidence that he was on sick leave at the time and not on duty.

Peter Champagnie, attorney for Simpson, argued that the trial judge failed to take into account discrepancies in the testimony of the main witness.