'Raging at injustice' – Mavado slams Jamaica's justice system after son's conviction overturned

Dancehall artiste Mavado has expressed relief and outrage following Friday's Court of Appeal decision to overturn the murder conviction of his son, Dantay Brooks, and his co-accused, Andre Hinds.

"There is a fire raging within me at the injustice," he said in a post on his official Instagram page on Saturday.

Brooks and Hinds, who were convicted in January 2021 for the 2018 murder of Lorenzo Thomas in Cassava Piece, St Andrew, were freed after the appellate judges found a "substantial miscarriage of justice" in how the trial was conducted. The court cited issues with identification evidence, credibility of the prosecution’s sole eyewitness, and procedural errors by the trial judge.

In the social media post, Mavado, whose given name is David Brooks, hailed the decision while condemning the authorities involved in the prosecution of the matter.

"It’s taken me some time to process all that has taken place, but I am ready to speak. To God be the glory; He comes first in everything we do. I am naturally elated, relieved, and full of joy that my son Dantay has been freed from the State-imposed hell he has endured for seven years of his young life." Dantay was 18 years old at the time of his life sentence in March 2021.

The entertainer has expressed anger at the legal system, questioning how the case even proceeded to trial.

"But at the same time, there is a fire raging within me at the injustice - or as the appeal judges put it - SUBSTANTIAL MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE - that has taken place. A trial without jury decided on by a lone judge who chose not to take into account the amount of times the SINGLE witness changed his statements, admitted to lying to police and fabricated his account of events," the 44-year-old said.

In their ruling, Justices Marva McDonald-Bishop, David Fraser, and Kissock Laing found that the trial judge Leighton Pusey failed to adequately assess the reliability of the sole eyewitness. The court highlighted inconsistencies in the witness’ statements, his initial failure to identify the accused, and the poor lighting conditions during the alleged crime.

The judges also ruled that the voice identification evidence used against Brooks and Hinds did not meet legal standards and should never have been admitted.

Mavado indicated that he and his legal team will be pursuing legal action against those responsible for what he believes was an orchestrated effort to convict his son unfairly.

"We will be pursuing full legal action against ALL parties involved in this cruel act of injustice and will not stop fighting until real justice is served upon those who perpetrated this awful, unlawful and unwarranted action against my son and his co-accused Andre Hinds," he said.

He also accused authorities of attempting to "drag [his] name through the mud" to sensationalise the case.

"They also tried to drag my name through the mud to help them carry out their wrongdoings and garner headlines for themselves. Well, this story and those headlines are far from over."

The deejay praised his son's legal team, led by Hugh Wildman, and Oswest Senior Smith, who led the case for Hinds.

"I would like to thank Hugh Wildman, who never had a doubt this miscarriage of justice would be overturned from the first minute he started reading the court transcript. His leadership and bravery against a system designed to destroy the lives of innocent youth is a service to his country. Big up Oswest Senior Smith for his sharp legal mind and assiduous work in freeing my son and Andre."

When Brooks and Hinds walked free from the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, they were greeted with tears of joy and embraces from family and friends.

Brooks’ attorney, Hugh Wildman, said his client was overjoyed and grateful. "He is so happy, he is so excited, and he is thanking us profusely," Wildman stated.

Hinds' other attorney, Kemar Robinson, also noted his client’s elation, adding that he immediately went to see his grandmother on her birthday after being freed.

Prosecutors had led evidence that Brooks and Hinds were among five men who entered a house house, shot Thomas, and then pushed his father into another room. They were accused of attempting to sever Thomas’ head before aborting that plan because the machete was too dull. They then allegedly poured gasolene on the house and the body before setting both on fire.

Prosecutors relied on the eyewitness testimony of Thomas’ father, who indicated that he knew his son’s killers from the community and had not only seen the face of both men but had also recognised them by their voices.

However, both men had maintained their innocence, stating that they were never at the scene and had raised a defence of alibi.

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