Defence attorneys in the One Don gang trial are now seeking to have more of the accused individuals freed after charges were dismissed on Thursday morning against four of the men who were allegedly part of the criminal enterprise.

Damaine Elliston, Rushane Williams, Revaldo Hylton and Owen Ormsby were found not guilty by Chief Justice Bryan Sykes after the Crown indicated that it did not have sufficient evidence to prove its case against them.

 

Attorneys representing the other accused in the case have now started making no case submissions in relation to charges against their clients. 

 

Defence attorney Anna-Kay Kelly, who is representing Kevaughn Green, the brother of the alleged gang leader, Andre 'Blackman' Bryan, on Thursday argued that the Crown has not presented any substantial evidence to ground any of the three charges against her client.

 

His attorney said the Crown's two main witnesses had provided insufficient evidence to prove he was a member of the One Don gang, asserting that the only evidence the prosecution has used to link him to the gang is blood relation.

 

She argued that neither of the two ex-gangsters who testified had assisted the prosecution in advancing its case against Mr. Green, as they could not provide any details about his role in the gang or any criminal offence he assisted the gang in committing.

 

Her arguments followed the earlier dismissal of a similar charge against Mr. Elliston, Mr. Williams, Mr. Hylton and Mr. Ormsby, four of the 33 defendants who are on trial. 

 

Mr. Elliston was also freed of two counts in relation to his alleged participation in two murders. 

 

Additionally, Mr. Hylton and Mr. Williams were freed of murder in relation to the deaths of two men who were killed in Spanish Town, St. Catherine. 

 

Mr. Hylton was also found not guilty in relation to his alleged participation in a murder and arson in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine, in which a couple was killed and their house set ablaze.

 

Conspiracy and murder charges against Mr. Ormsby were dismissed.

 

Attorney Kymani Brydson, who represented Mr. Ormsby, later told reporters that the prosecution did the honourable thing in admitting there was insufficient evidence against his client.

 

"Mr. Ormsby is happy and I think this is testament to the fact that the judicial system does ensure fairness and objectivity in trial processes," he noted.