Vybz Kartel Appeal | Judge Puzzled Damning Text Made Six Weeks Before Lizard's Murder

By Livern Barrett, Senior Gleaner Writer

The metadata for one of the damning text messages which prosecutors used to convict top entertainers Vybz Kartel and Shawn Storm of murder was created six weeks before the victim's death, one attorney has told the Appeal Court.

Bianca Samuels, one of the attorneys for Shawn Storm, was referring to the text message reportedly found on one of the mobile phones taken from Kartel in which it was said that Clive 'Lizard' Williams "chop up fine, fine."

Samuels was making her submissions in the appeal filed by the two entertainers against their conviction and prison sentence.

She said evidence presented during their 17-week murder trial that ended in April 2014 showed that the metadata was created on July 6, 2011, six weeks before prosecutors claim Williams was killed.

Samuels noted, too, that there was evidence that the mobile phones taken from Kartel were used while the instruments were in the custody of the police.

"This one has left me puzzled," said Samuels, who along with Isat Buchanan and Daynia Allen, represent Shawn Storm.

The panel of three judges hearing the appeal appeared surprised by the assertion.

"Our silence was sharing in your puzzlement," said president of the Court of Appeal Justice Dennis Morrison, who along with justices Patrick Brooks and Frank Williams, are hearing the case.

Samuels said this raises "more than a reasonable doubt" about the integrity of the evidence, which should not have been put to the jury.

What Is Metadata
Metadata gathers and summarises behind-the-scenes details of information that is captured.

In most information technology usages metadata means an underlying definition or description.

Some examples of metadata include:

*Time and date of creation of the data.

*Creator or author of the data.

*File size.

*Means of creation of the data.

*Purpose of the data.

Kartel Declares His Innocence
“My hands are clean of Clive Williams' blood”.

That was the declaration of dancehall entertainer Vybz Kartel in his unsworn statement at his murder trial in 2014.

Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, said, "My Lord, my hands are clean of Clive Williams' blood, if, indeed, Clive Williams is deceased".

He said there was a group of persons conspiring against him and his friends.

He referred to then National Security Minister Peter Bunting, who, he said, took his music and image to the United States claiming that "Vybz Kartel's lyrics, my Lord, is glorifying scamming".

The dancehall artiste had said that Bunting said that there were four essential elements "mashing up Jamaica and I was one of them, my Lord".

Kartel said the statements were prejudicial to his case.

He said he was heavily tattooed and he bleached his skin, but that was merely superficial because that was "part of the persona of Vybz Kartel, not Adidja Palmer".

The Crown had led evidence at the murder trial that Williams was beaten to death at Kartel's house at 7 Swallowfield Avenue in Havendale, St Andrew, on August 16, 2011.

It is alleged that Williams was beaten over two missing guns.

The body has not been found.