One freed, seven still on trial for teacher’s murder

Akeem Adrian Gittens walked out of Supreme Court No. 3 on Tuesday afternoon a free man, after the murder charge against him was formally withdrawn.

Justice Carlisle Greaves instructed the 12-member jury to return a not-guilty verdict in favour of the Belleview Gap, Station Hill, St Michael resident following legal submissions made in the absence of the jury.

Gittens had been on trial along with seven other men for the fatal shooting of 30-year-old schoolteacher Dwight Holder on August 6, 2015.

Directing the jury, Justice Greaves said: “You must not speculate about why I have given you this instruction in respect of him. You must not speculate about why I have not given you this instruction about anyone else. You must simply carry out the instruction because it is an instruction in the law. The law is my area of responsibility, and when I give you instructions in law, you have no choice but to follow them.”

Following the verdict, Gittens was told he was free to leave and he exited the courtroom.

The trial against Ayo Bascombe, of Headleys Land, Bank Hall; Rasheed Jabar Gittens of Belleview Gap, Station Hill; Adrian Antonio Watts, of Windsor Road, Bank Hall; Brandon Damon Joseph, of Beckwith Street, The City; Kemal Mario Straker, of Clapham Park; Rio Richian Jelani Benn of Upper Dukes Alley, Vine Street, The City; and Nicholas Ricardo Clarke, of Godding Road, Station Hill continues on Wednesday.

Principal State Counsel Neville Watson and Senior State Counsel Romario Straker are prosecuting the case.

King’s Counsel Michael Lashley represents Watts; Senior Counsel Angella Mitchell-Gittens appears for Rasheed Gittens; defence attorney Verla Depeiza represents Bascombe; attorney Kristin Vanderpool for Benn; defence counsel Dr Lenda Blackman and Simon Clarke are Joseph’s lawyers; attorneys Marlon Gordon and Jeremy Bowen represent Clarke and attorney Ajamu Boardi represents Straker.

Attorneys Rita Evans and Ensley Grainger represented Akeem Gittens.