Vybz Kartel murder case could close today

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Vybz Kartel’s attorney is to decide this morning whether to close his case today after calling a number of witnesses including a handwriting expert.

Tom Tavares-Finson, who appears along with son Chris for the artiste, told the Home Circuit Court Monday that he would have closed his case then but that he needed time to peruse a document that had been sent to him late in the day.

Vybz Kartel, whose name is Adidja Palmer, had called his sister as character witnesses and handwriting expert Karl Major, a retired senior superintendent of police.

The entertainer also gave unsworn evidence from the prisoners’ dock that he was not involved in the murder of friend Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams for which he, along with Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Andre St John, Kahira Jones and Shane Williams are being tried.

After the closing of Kartel’s case Campbell is expected to open his case with the calling of character witnesses.

Williams is believed to have been beaten to death at a house on Swallowfield Avenue in Havendale, St Andrew, on the evening of August 16, 2011. He was reportedly beaten to death over the disappearance of two illegal guns.

Paul Henry