Dancehall and reggae artist Adidja
Palmer, more popularly known as VybzKartel, was sentenced a life imprisonment
with a non-parole period of 35 years today. Justice Lennox Campbell handed down
this verdict in Jamaica’s Supreme Court.
Last March 13, Palmer was found guilty of
the August 2011 murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams, which allegedly took place
in Palmer's residence in St. Andrew. Williams was allegedly beaten up and
killed on the account of two missing guns. Co-defendants Shawn Campbell,
popularly known as Shawn Storm, along with Kahira Jones and Andre St. John were
also found guilty, while Shane Williams got the only
non-guilty verdict.
The sentencing date was previously
scheduled on March 27, but was moved to today. St. John received life
imprisonment with a non-parole period of 30 years, and Campbell and Jones
received life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 25 years.
Palmer's lead attorneys, Tom
Tavares-Finson and Christian Tavares-Finson, plan to appeal the conviction. They
continue to claim that the evidence presented by the prosecution, including a
text messages sent from Palmer’s phone saying Williams had been chopped up “likemincemeat”,
were faked.
Justice Campbell will decide upon whether
to allow Palmer to transfer from New Horizon Remand Center to Tower St.
Correction Center, which features a recording studio wherein he could continue
recording while imprisoned.
