By Racquel Porter
Convicted One Don Gang leader Andre 'Blackman' Bryan on Tuesday admitted that he is the head of the Jones Avenue criminal network that has been linked to crimes including murder and arson in Spanish Town, St. Catherine and its environs.
Bryan was convicted on March 8 of being the leader of a criminal organisation and seven counts of facilitating the commission of a serious offence by a criminal organisation.
Picking up from where he left off on Monday, Bryan, sporting a short dreadlocked hairstyle and clad in a white buttoned shirt and black pants, was allotted 10 minutes by Chief Justice Bryan Sykes to complete his address.
He continued with the quoting of scriptures, but it was his statement confirming his leadership of the criminal organisation which left the court room stunned.
"Is the don talking; one don, and there's no other don. Any other don a Clarendon," he declared.
Bryan spoke for approximately seven minutes, during which he argued that his foot soldiers should be exonerated.
"I give orders, instruction. They were all under influence, same fi di witnesses weh get pardon... By precept, all of them should have been pardoned and you take me in account. That's all I wanted to say."
Until today, the 38-year-old maintained that the former gangsters turned state witnesses lied, but he said he holds no grudge against them or any of those who played a role in prosecuting the case, including the attorneys, police and the Chief Justice.
Bryan's address came after the pleas in mitigation were completed for the last three convicts.
The sentencing hearing was then adjourned until Monday when the judge will start handing down the sentences for Bryan and his 14 co-convicts.
