Witness gives more info on Blackman's deadly style of operation
almost 4 years in Jamaica Observer
Alleged leader of the St Catherine-based Klansman gang Andre "Blackman" Bryan had a scheme for diverting attention from the criminal organisation for shootings done in the Shelter Rock community in Spanish Town in pursuit of an individual who was to testify against him, an ex-gang member turned State informant testified yesterday.Witness number one, a self-confessed high-ranking lieutenant in the gang, made the claim yesterday during day six of his testimony before Chief Justice Bryan Sykes in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston.The witness, in identifying the accused Tomrick Taylor, otherwise called Fancy Ras, said this individual was the decoy."A lot of time when shootings were to take place in Shelter Rock, Blackman would send Fancy Ras to report to the station before the shooting take place," the witness claimed, adding that Taylor, who was out on bail on a matter, had to report as a condition of his bond.Pressed by the prosecutor leading the evidence to explain, the witness said Bryan would have Taylor report because there was a case against an individual called Chups involving him, and he did not want it to be said that he was part of the shootings when they happened.According to the witness, Bryan was "sending a hit man to go and kill Chups" because Chups was testifying against him. He said the gang was planning to kill Chups to prevent this from happening.Additionally, the witness, who was yesterday asked by the prosecutor which gang members had personal firearms, named five of the accused whom he said had personal weapons.He, however, said the weapons - though owned by the individuals - were still considered "part of the system", meaning that if Bryan sent to the owners for the guns, they had to release them. He said only one of the accused - known as Brains - would defy this order.In the meantime, the witness told the court that he was the one to point out an individual called Doolie who was killed by the gang at Price Rite, St Andrew, outside the supermarket where he worked.He said Doolie, who was killed after three attempts, was marked for death by Bryan because he was said to be a member of the rival Tesha Miller faction of the Klansman gang and was also said to be related to two members of that gang. On at least two of the three occasions the witness said he had to discourage the trigger man from shooting in circumstances where innocent bystanders would have been hurt. He said Bryan was upset about the failure of the gang to take out Doolie on the first attempt, quarrelling that "unuh call unuh self killa and can't kill one man".He said on the third attempt, which took place the day after the second failed hit, Doolie was killed. He said two cars with the gangsters aboard waited until the targeted man left the supermarket that night and was about to board a taxi when "Suss pull out a gun and start to shoot him in his head. Suss was exactly back a him, he rest the gun pon him and start fire," the witness said.He further claimed that when "he shot Doolie in the head, he fire two shot in the air and everybody start run up an dung".The witness's testimony regarding that killing coincided with the testimony of witness number two who had told the court about the same incident in which he said he was one of the drivers.The witness continues his testimony this morning at 10:00.