After years of repeated postponements and procedural disruptions caused by witness relocation, the long-awaited murder trial involving prominent Jamaican dancehall performer Munga Honorable and his co-defendant Sheridan Gordon finally commenced at Kingston’s Home Circuit Court on Monday.
The 48-year-old artist, legally named Damian Rhoden, and Gordon stand accused of the 2017 fatal shooting of Cleveland Smith, a 39-year-old resident of the Ackee Walk neighborhood in St Andrew. Court documents confirm Smith is the cousin of fellow dancehall entertainer Mr Vegas, a detail that has drawn widespread public attention to the case since it was first filed.
On the opening day of proceedings, the prosecution’s first eyewitness took the stand to give her account of the 2017 incident. Under oath, she told the court that she clearly observed both Rhoden and Gordon open fire on Smith as he rode his bicycle through the neighborhood. She testified that after the barrage of bullets stopped, Smith remained motionless on the ground beside his vehicle, leaving no doubt of the severity of his injuries.
Ahead of the midday adjournment for lunch, the judge revoked bail that had been granted to both defendants shortly after their initial arrest in 2017. Court observers from the Jamaica Observer witnessed the two men being led out of the courtroom in shared handcuffs, escorted by two armed officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. The artist was documented moving at a slow pace as he exited the building, with both men remaining in cuffs when they returned to the court for afternoon proceedings.
When the session drew to a close for the day, lead defense attorney Christopher Townsend formally petitioned the judge to reverse the bail revocation, noting that the pair had complied with all bail conditions for nearly seven years without incident. The judge granted the defense’s request, extending bail for both defendants until the trial resumes this Thursday.
The official police account of the 2017 incident states that Smith was confronted by a group of armed men while he attended a local community entertainment event. Authorities allege that a confrontation broke out between Smith and the group, during which he was struck by multiple gunshots. He was immediately transported to Kingston Public Hospital by emergency responders, but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the facility. The case has remained a high-profile topic in Jamaica’s entertainment community for nearly a decade, with the trial’s opening marking a major milestone in the legal process.