LOL Beckles Not Guilty

[Bricktop]

Beckles not guilty

Monday, 26 November 2007
Rodney Beckles, who is the son of the Principal of the UWI's Cave Hill campus in Trinidad, Professor Hilary Beckles, was found not guilty Monday for the murder of Khalil Campbell, who is son of High Court judge, Lennox Campbell.

The 12-member jury in the Home Circuit Court retired for about two hours before reaching their verdict.

At the trial which began two weeks ago, Mr Beckles testified that he and Mr. Campbell got into an argument over a ganja spliff in January this year.

He told the court that he had a pen knife in his hand and during a scuffle, Khalil was injured.

The UWI student claimed that he was attacked by Khalil and was forced to act in self-defence.

This claim was refuted by the testimony of the pathologist.

He said the autopsy of the body revealed Khalil had several defensive wounds on his hands, suggesting that he was under attack.

The pathologist testified that Khalil died when he was stabbed in the heart.

[Me]

From Campbell parents state that they gave up on him and he would end up dead if he moved back to Jamaica, Beckles got off.

[Mosiah]

Huh?!? Don't understand. Looks like justice was not served here.

'Not Guilty'
Beckles' verdict angers family, friends
PAUL HENRY, Observer staff reporter henryp@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, November 27, 2007

RODNEY Beckles, the son of a university professor, was yesterday found not guilty for the January murder of 28-year-old Khalil Campbell, the son of high court judge Lennox Campbell in a verdict that shocked some spectators and angered relatives and friends of the deceased.

The 12-member jury arrived at the not-guilty verdict after close to three hours of deliberation.

Immediately following the verdict, a friend of the deceased launched a sudden attack on Beckles while police was escorting him from the prisoners' dock.

Angered by the verdict, the unidentified man lunged at Beckles - to loud screams from Beckles' mother and other relatives - and grabbed at him. Other police officers quickly stepped in and repelled the attack, which took place shortly after Justice Kay Beckford left the courtroom.

"Remember weh mi tell you! Remember!" shouted the man to Beckles as some members from Campbell's family fought to restrain him and lead him out of the court.

Fearing an attack on the jurors, court workers prevented them from leaving the Number 1 courtroom for a few minutes.
One female family member of the deceased then stormed out of the courtroom shouting, "No justice no deh! No justice no deh!"

Following the melee, a lawyer told reporters that an attack was expected and security was beefed up for the occasion as Beckles had been receiving threats within the precinct of the court.

"We have been expecting this. And that is why there was extra security. That is why the police responded so quickly," said the attorney who asked not to be named. "He has been getting threats all along."

Up until press time last night, it was not clear whether Beckles' attacker was detained or if any charges were brought against him.

Beckles, a social sciences student at the University of the West Indies, Mona (UWI), has been on trial for the past two weeks for the January 3 murder of Campbell, who was stabbed and slashed some 15 times at a drug den at 219 Old Hope Road.

The towering Beckles testified during the trial to slashing and stabbing Campbell, but maintained that it was done in self-defence and that he never meant to hurt him.

"At no time did I intend to hurt him. I was just hitting him so that he would let go my foot so I could go home," Beckles said during the trial.

According to the defence, Campbell had attacked Beckles during one of his mental episodes.

Following yesterday's verdict, Beckles' relieved parents - Professor Hilary Beckles of UWI and Mary Beckles, hugged each other and wept.

Cradling his wife's face, the professor kissed her several times as they smiled.

However, a contrasting scene was being played out outside the court with several members of Campbell's family in tears, while lamenting that "there is no justice".

[Me]

They probably shipped him back to Barbados or trying to convince him to go back to Barbados.

[Bricktop]

"At no time did I intend to hurt him. I was just hitting him so that he would let go my foot so I could go home," Beckles said during the trial.

Hitting him with a knife 15 times cause he was holding on to his foot? I mean don't gert me wrong I despise crackheads as much as anyone does but how about jus chasing him down Half Way Tree road with a Nitrogen Tank Glock replica BB Gun and squuezing off two inna him gizzmick?

[Gamma]

there is a lot of irony here....lennox campbell (J) and his family are saying "there is no justice"....the issue of self defence, a man holding to yuh leg justifies a fatal response?

anyway i don't know all the facts.

[Sickko]

This case reminds me of one a few years ago where a schoolmate of mine Sheldon Lyn was stabbed to death at a Kingston party by the son of a Spanish Diplomat.

I dont even recall if the case even reached Circuit.....

[Mosiah]

this is just b u ll s h i t!

but i don't know all the facts.

[MdmeX]

Mi neva know that people have so much strength when them drugged up. 15 stab wound cause man a hold onto yuh foot when yuh want leff the DEN!