KINGSTON, Jamaica — The trial of the Westmoreland-based King Valley gang will resume today after a forced recess early last month when one of the six accused fell ill.

The trial by judge alone, which began on January 14 with nine men in the dock, three of whom have since been freed, has been dogged by several unplanned adjournments.

The trial began with several days of testimony from the star prosecution witness via live video link from an undisclosed location, who told the court that gang members were involved in the deadly lottery scamming scheme, committed murders and rapes in the course of robberies, and were also murderers for hire. The witness, a former member of the gang, also said he had surrendered to the police in 2018 and decided to give evidence against the gang after they allegedly killed seven of his family members including his father, aunt, two uncles, a cousin, his sister, and an in-law, in seeking to pull him out of hiding.

The remaining six — Carlington Godfrey, alias Tommy; Rannaldo McKennis, otherwise known as Ratty; Derval Williams, also called Lukie; Christon Grant, alias Ecoy; Lindell Powell, also called Lazarus; and Copeland Sankey, also known as Tupac — are charged in an indictment containing 11 counts on suspicion of being part of a criminal organisation, providing benefits to a criminal organisation, and conspiring to commit murder, rape and robbery with aggravation from as early as 2013.

Presiding judge Chief Justice Brian Sykes in adjourning the trial on February 10 to today on account of Godfrey’s illness, said: “Without getting into details, rest assured, all things being equal, the matter will be completed by the Friday of that week” .

When the trial resumes at 10:00 this morning, Williams’ attorney O’neil Brown and counsel for Sankey, Everton Bird, will present their closing submissions.

— Alicia Dunkley-Willis