Keith Clarke’s murder trial postponed until May 6
Vanassa McKenzie / Our Today
The murder trial of the three Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldiers accused of murdering businessman Keith Clarke has been further delayed until Monday, May 6.
Presiding Judge Dale Palmer postponed the matter when it was called up on Monday, April 29, in the Supreme Court to facilitate an application for a stay of proceedings in the Court of Appeal today, April 30.
The matter was initially set for April 15, but was adjourned due to a shortage of jurors. This is after refusing an application from the defence for a delay to appeal his decision to proceed with the trial.
Corporal Odel Buckley, Lance Corporal Greg Tinglin and Private Arnold Henry were charged in 2012 with the murder of Clarke at his St Andrew residence.
Clarke was shot and killed at his Kirkland Heights residence in May 2010 during a military operation to capture convicted drug lord Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.
The trial was initially set to commence in 2018 but stalled after lawyers representing the accused men presented immunity certificates signed by former security minister Peter Bunting, which protected them from prosecution in connection to the shooting incident.
In January of last year, the matter was added to the trial list following a ruling by the Court of Appeal.
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