KINGSTON, Jamaica – The question of what will be the fate of the star crown witness in the ongoing trial of the Westmoreland-based King Valley gang this morning loomed large.

The witness, who commenced testifying on January 14, had admitted to being involved in murders, rapes, robberies and scamming while part of the gang which terrorised the Grange Hill and surrounding communities in the parish from the time he joined from about 2013. 

The individual, who testified from a remote location via live video link, told the trial of a number of escapades he and the other alleged gangsters were involved in.

Eight men – Carlington Godfrey, alias Tommy; Lindell Powell, alias Lazarus; Rannaldo McKennis, otherwise known as Ratty; Derval Williams, also called Lukie; Hopeton Sankey, alias Bigga; Christon Grant, alias Ecoy; Copeland Sankey, also known as Tupac; and Sean Suckra, also called Elder — are charged in an indictment containing 11 counts.

This morning, lawyers for two of the accused, Carlington Godfrey and Rannaldo McKinnis, pressed a senior member of the police force during cross examination to say whether during the course of taking the statements from the witness it had occurred to her that the witness was more of a suspect than a witness. The lawyers, in highlighting the fact that the individual was not charged even though he had admitted to being involved in criminal activities, pressed the witness to declare that it had occurred to her that the individual was a suspect and not in a position to point fingers.

The police witness, in responding, told the court, “My investigations commenced on May 9 and continues up till now. The investigation is still open. It can end anywhere”.

The witness, she told the court, based on threats to his life, had volunteered to be placed in protective care.

Alicia Dunkley-Willis