KINGSTON, Jamaica – Chief Justice Bryan Sykes on Thursday scolded the prosecution in the trial of 33 alleged members of the One Don faction of the Spanish Town-based Klansman gang, saying the proceeding is not a commission of inquiry as he shut down questions to a state witness about the gang’s activities which the former gang member did not participate in.

The prosecution had been quizzing the witness about an alleged murder carried out by the gang in Central Village, before he joined the gang, when Sykes intervened. Noting that the witness was not a member of the gang at the time of the incident, the chief justice said that the evidence must be tied to the indictment.

“I don’t know what a lot of this is connected to as far as the indictment is concerned. This is a criminal trial. We are at this now for two weeks. I have allowed this to go on long enough and we have to get some shape and focus,” Sykes said.

The prosecutor responded that much of the evidence given by the witness was used to identify the gang members.

However, Sykes pointed out “that that may be true, but there are charges under the indictment and that is what I am here about”.

The chief justice continued: “This is not a commission of inquiry into organised crime in Jamaica. We are not going there. This has to come to an end at some point. There seems to be no end in sight here. I have to see the connection with the indictment”.

The witness then moved on to outline details surrounding other murders which he claimed he participated in or had first-hand knowledge of.

Among the alleged murders was the killing of two people in an area known as ‘Fisheries’. According to the witness, Andre “Blackman” Bryan and several other gangsters went to the area and kicked open the door to a home which at the time was being occupied by a woman and a man who Bryan said was a “top shooter” for Tesha Miller, the reputed leader of another faction of the Klansman. He said Bryan then took a gun from another gang member and fatally shot the man in front of the screaming woman, who herself was shot dead shortly after. After the heinous act, the witness said the gangsters used a bottle bomb to set the house ablaze with the bodies of the victims inside.

According to the witness, two more doors to houses in the community were subsequently kicked open by the gangsters, but Blackman instructed that the lives of the occupants be spared because they were elderly.

Sykes is hearing the case of the 33 charged with several offences, including being part of a criminal organisation, murder, conspiracy to murder, arson, and illegal possession of firearm and illegal possession of ammunition. Accused gang leader Andre Bryan, also called Blackman and Teacha, is charged with, among other things, being the leader of a criminal organisation — Klansman/One Don gang.

Those answering to the charges are Andre Bryan, Kevaughn Green, Tomrick Taylor, Damaine Elliston, Kalifa Williams, Daniel McKenzie, Michael Whitely, Pete Miller, Dylon McLean, Dwight Hall, Carl Beech, Lamar Simpson, Donavon Richards, Tareek James, Stephanie Christie, Fabian Johnson, Jahzeel Blake, Roel Taylor, Rushane Williams, Kemar Harrison, Joseph McDermott, Jermaine Robinson, Rivaldo Hylton, Jason Brown, Andre Golding, Marco Miller, Chevoy Evans, Brian Morris, Andre Smith, Dwayne Salmon, Ricardo Thomas, Ted Prince, and Owen Ormsby.