In a decisive legal victory, former calypso monarch Aziza Clarke has been fully exonerated of charges alleging she assisted an offender in evading law enforcement. The No. 5 Supreme Court delivered the ruling following a successful no-case submission presented by her defense team, led by King’s Counsel Michael Lashley and attorney Sade Harris.
The case stemmed from allegations that Clarke, a resident of Bonnetts, Brittons Hill, St Michael, had knowingly transported Hakeem Stuart from Briar Hall to Graeme Hall, Christ Church on March 21, 2019. Prosecutors claimed this action was intended to obstruct Stuart’s lawful apprehension in connection with murder or another serious arrestable offense.
Presiding Justice Pamela Beckles determined that the prosecution failed to establish the essential elements of knowledge and belief necessary to sustain the charge. In her ruling, Justice Beckles found insufficient evidence to prove Clarke had awareness of or belief in Stuart’s alleged criminal activities at the time of the incident. Consequently, the judge directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty, bringing the legal proceedings to a conclusive end.
The judgment represents a significant judicial determination that the threshold for proving criminal intent in assistance cases requires substantial evidence of the defendant’s conscious knowledge of the offender’s actions, which the court found lacking in this instance.