Popular entertainer Vybz Kartel is reportedly suffering from a disease which has reduced his heart capacity to 50 per cent.
The medical submission was made by Dr. Karen Phillips in the Court of Appeal this morning, on day three of the re-trial hearing underway in downtown Kingston.
We have more in this report from Mahiri Stewart.
Addressing Justices McDonald Bishop, Williams and Fraser, one of the entertainer’s lawyers, Isat Buchanan, said his client is physically and mentally unwell.
Therefore, Buchanan submitted, he cannot stand a retrial.
Buchanan read from medical reports and affidavits which indicate that the self-styled ‘World Boss’ is suffering from Graves Disease.
Kartel’s son, Adidja Jahiem Palmer, had raised the issue of the weakness of his father’s heart in his own affidavit, but the judges had struck the reference from his filing.
Isat Buchanan submitted to the court that in addition to the physical toll of the trial and appeal process, Kartel is also suffering serious mental effects.
A report tendered by Dr. Gregory Walcott highlights that Kartel is suffering from anxiety and mental weakness.
This weakness reportedly developed as a result of the ordeal of the legal process.
Vybz Kartel, whose given name is Adidja Palmer, Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St. Jones are seeking to convince the Court of Appeal to reject the state’s effort to retry them for the 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.
The men’s 2014 convictions were overturned by the UK-based Privy Council as a result of significant jury issues during the trial.
The Privy Council has charged the Court of Appeal to determine whether there should be a re-trial.
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