A Jamaican man has walked free from the Home Circuit Court after a judge cleared him of serious weapons charges, capping a years-long legal process that fell apart when prosecutors failed to produce credible, consistent evidence against him.
Roge Stubbs was found not guilty on two counts — possession of a prohibited weapon and unlawful possession of ammunition — this Wednesday, with co-accused Jahmala Vernon also acquitted in the same ruling. Defense attorney Shannan Clarke, who represented Stubbs, shared her relief at the outcome in an interview with Jamaica Observer Friday morning, emphasizing that her client had always maintained his innocence throughout the entire proceedings.
“I am happy that he’s free. He has maintained his innocence from the inception. I am glad that he can now move on with his life,” Clarke told the outlet.
The case dates back to Christmas Day 2022, when police operating in the Kingston Western division pulled over a car carrying five men just after 2:30 a.m. Prosecutors alleged that one of the vehicle’s occupants tossed a gun out of the car window during the stop, leading to all five men being arrested and charged in connection with the weapon.
By 2023, three of the five co-accused had already been released from the case after the Crown chose not to present any evidence to support charges against them. That left only Stubbs and Vernon to face trial, which got underway on May 6 this year. From the start of the proceedings, the prosecution’s case was plagued by critical gaps that undermined its narrative.
Key witnesses from the Jamaica Constabulary Force were unable to provide consistent, clear testimony on two core details of the allegation: which part of the vehicle the gun was supposedly thrown from, and whether any of the five occupants was actually observed holding the weapon before the stop. Compounding that evidential failure, DNA testing carried out on the recovered firearm returned no matches to any of the accused men. With no solid evidence to connect either Stubbs or Vernon to the weapon, the prosecution’s entire case collapsed, leading the court to enter acquittals for both men.
Vernon was represented in court by King’s Counsel Tom Tavares Finson, a prominent Jamaican defense attorney.