Dancehall artist David “Mavado” Brooks’ son, Dantay Brooks, and his co-accused, Andre Hinds, had their murder convictions reversed by the Court of Appeal. Issues with the only eyewitness’s reliability and serious mistakes in the trial judge’s handling of identification evidence were mentioned in the ruling, which was rendered March 7, 2025.
Due to the vicious killing of Lorenzo Thomas in Cassava Piece, St. Andrew, in 2018, both men were receiving life terms. Hinds received a sentence of 17 years before parole, while Brooks received a life sentence with a 22-year term before parole. Concurrent sentences were to be imposed for unlawful firearm possession and arson.
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The trial judge had not adequately warned himself of the risks associated with the identification evidence that was offered, according to the Court of Appeal, which was presided over by Justices Marva McDonald-Bishop, David Fraser, and Kissock Laing. The veracity of the lone eyewitness was also questioned.
In their published ruling, the justices said, “We are of the view that the failure of the learned trial judge to adequately warn himself of the dangers inherent in the identification evidence, combined with the deficiencies in his treatment of the identification and matters going to the credibility of the prosecution’s sole eyewitness, resulted in the applicants being deprived of the safeguards developed by law to prevent the ‘ghastly risk’ of conviction on unreliable evidence.”
Attorney-at-law Tamika Harris, who represented Brooks during the initial trial, called the appellate ruling a reaffirmation of the case’s merits. The prosecution admitted the trial judge’s mistakes and declined to request a retrial after the court reserved judgment after hearing the appeal on December 10 and 11 of last year.
Harris stated, “We respect the judicial process at all levels and are pleased that the Court of Appeal has ruled in our favor. This decision reaffirms the merits of our case and underscores the important legal principles at stake.”
Additionally, Harris mentioned the difficulties in the appeals process, saying, “While the journey through the courts has been challenging, I remained hopeful. I appreciate the Court of Appeal’s careful consideration of the matter and its ruling. We remain dedicated to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that our client’s rights and interests are fully protected.”
Although Oswest Senior-Smith, Hinds’ attorney, stated that there were a number of grounds for appeal, including the proof of visual and vocal identification, he refrained from commenting further on the matter until the formal ruling had been released.
He stated, “I know that certain grounds were common to both appellants as it pertains to the directions that the trial judge gave and the credibility of the witness. I would like to see the written decision first so I can comment in a more informed way. Kudos to the team, a lot of hard work went into the process.”
In the 2018 event, Thomas was shot during a house invasion, his corpse was burned, and someone tried to cut off his head. The evidence of Thomas’ father, who claimed to have identified Brooks and Hinds as members of the gang in question, was a key component of the prosecution’s case.
In 2021, Brooks and Hinds were taken into custody, prosecuted, and found guilty.
