Klansman Trial Day 10: Blackman, 32 Co-Accused

Klansman Trial Day 10- The Klansman trial resumed on Monday, October 4, in the home circuit court in Downtown, Kingston. Alleged gang leader Andre ‘Blackman’ Bryan and 32 of his co-accused are allegedly associated with the One Don Gang, a faction of the feared Klansman Gang based in St. Catherine. They are being tried under the Criminal Justice Suppression of Criminal Organisations Act, 2014, better known as the Anti-gang Legislation, on an indictment with 25 counts, in a judge-alone trial.

The high-profile trial is widely considered to be the largest prosecution in Jamaica’s history, and the case can proceed for an extended period. One of the prosecution’s main witnesses has been testifying against Andre ‘Black Man’ Bryan and his 32-co-accused, including a woman. The witness was allegedly an active member of the criminal organization tasked with collecting extortion money and driving. He also gave evidence to several shooting incidents, murders, and arson dating back as far as 2017. This witness seems not to be holding back on information, he has implicated seventeen (17) of the defendants on trial.

The Court adjourned prematurely on Day 10, due to the absence of two defendants who were not present in court. Chief Justice Bryan Sykes informed the court that the two defendants who are being held at a facility in St. Catherine are awaiting COVID-19 results and as a precautionary measure they will not be able to attend the proceedings.

It was later confirmed that the two defendants have tested positive for COVID-19; based on information received from the court’s administration, the Klansman trial has been postponed for a further 14 days and will reconvene on October 19, 2021.