Vybz Kartel, a prominent Jamaican dancehall artist, has had his murder conviction thrown out by a court in London. The court ruled that attempts to bribe jurors during his trial made the verdict unsafe.
Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, has been imprisoned in Jamaica since 2011. The case involved the disappearance of his associate Clive “Lizard” Williams in 2011. Williams’ body was never found.
Following a lengthy trial in 2014, Kartel and three others were found guilty. Kartel received a life sentence with a minimum 35-year term, later reduced to 32.5 years on appeal.
In February 2024, Kartel made a final appeal to the Privy Council in London, the highest court for Jamaica and certain Commonwealth nations. His lawyers argued that the judge overseeing the original trial mishandled allegations of juror bribery.
On Thursday, the Privy Council agreed with the defense. They determined that the judge’s decision to allow the juror accused of bribery to remain on the jury compromised the fairness of the trial.
The Privy Council has referred the case back to Jamaica’s Court of Appeal. This court will decide if Kartel and his co-defendants will face a new trial.