One of the biggest stars in dancehall, Vybz Kartel cultivated an image of a violent outlaw.
However the singer's arrest in 2011 cast this reputation in a new light, as Jamaican police charged the reggae icon with two counts of murder.
The first charge was thrown out in controversial circumstances, after authorities mis-laid key pieces of evidence.
Charged with the murder of Clive Lizard Williams, the trial lasted some 65 days and is said to be the longest in Jamaican criminal history.
Prosecutors alleged that Williams was beaten to death at Kartel's home in August 2011 following a row over two missing guns.
A key piece of evidence was said to be a text traced to the singer's phone, claiming that Williams' body would never be found.
Defence lawyer Tom Tavares-Finson in turn argued that the prosecutions case was "dishonest" and "incompetent", with both witness statements and a compact disc containing vital evidence going missing.
Vybz Kartel is set to be sentenced shortly.
(via BBC)
Buy Clash Magazine
Get Clash on your mobile, for free: iPhone / Android
