The Court of Appeal has chopped off over 30 months off the prison time that Vybz Kartel and his co-convicts must serve before they are eligible for parole. Kartel must now serve 32 years and six months instead of 35 years.

Kartel, whose real given name is Adidja Palmer, must now serve 32 years and six months instead of 35 years.

Shawn Storm, real name Shawn Campbell,  and Kahira Johns will now serve 22 years and six months, while Andre St John will serve 27 years and six months.

The decision was handed down today.

SEE THE DETAILS BELOW:

THE COURT OF APPEAL
SUPREME COURT CRIMINAL APPEAL NOS 29, 30, 31 & 32/2014
BEFORE:
THE HON MR JUSTICE MORRISON P THE HON MR JUSTICE BROOKS JA THE HON MR JUSTICE F WILLIAMS JA
SHAWN CAMPBELL ADIDJA PALMER
KAHIRA JONES v R ANDRE ST JOHN
Bert Samuels, Miss Bianca Samuels, Miss Dania Allen and Isat Buchanan for the appellant Shawn Campbell
Mrs Valerie Neita-Robertson QC and Tom Tavares-Finson QC for the appellant Adidja Palmer
Robert Fletcher and Donahue Martin for the appellant Kahira Jones Oswest Senior-Smith for the appellant Andre St John
Jeremy Taylor, Orrett Brown and Miss Syleen O’Gilvie for the Crown
9, 16-20, 23, 24 July 2018, 3 and 17 April 2020
MORRISON P, BROOKS AND F WILLIAMS JJA
[1] In our judgment given in this matter on 3 April 2020, we concluded that, “save in one respect, the sentences imposed by the judge in this case cannot be said to have been excessive to such an extent as to call for this court’s intervention” (paragraph [539]).
[2020] JMCA Crim 10A

[2] However, we considered that “the judge may have erred in not giving any consideration to the question of any time spent by the appellants in custody pending trial” (paragraph [541]). Accordingly, in order to address this issue, we deferred our decision on the appeals against sentence and required a brief note from counsel as to the time each appellant spent on remand prior to sentencing.
[3] Having regard to the contents of the note received on 9 April 2020 from Mr Tavares-Finson QC, for and on behalf of the attorneys-at-law for all the appellants, the order of the court in respect of sentence is as follows:

1. Save as indicated in order number 2 below, the appeals of Messrs Campbell, Palmer, Jones and St John against their respective sentences are all dismissed and the sentences are affirmed.
2. The period of imprisonment to be served by each appellant before becoming eligible for parole is reduced by two years and six months. Accordingly, the times to be served before being eligible for parole shall be as follows:
   a. Mr Campbell – 22 years and 6 months
   b. Mr Palmer – 32 years and 6 months
   c. Mr Jones – 22 years and 6 months
   d. Mr St John – 27 years and 6 months
3. The sentences shall each be reckoned to have commenced on April 3, 2014.