A Belize City man successfully defended himself and today walked out of the courtroom free of charges.
Jamal Jackson had been accused of a heavy offense. In 2016, police alleged that he was part of a pair of robbers that jacked the Belize City Council night deposit by holding up the security guards at gunpoint at the Scotiabank on Albert Street.
The robbers fled on foot, but a police patrol set after them and alleged that one of the robbers opened fire on the police - hitting a female officer in the head. Her injuries were not life threatening but police apprehended 31 year old Jamaal Jackson shortly after and also recovered a 9 millimeter pistol.
Well, 8 years later Jackson went to trial for attempted robbery and grievous harm. But that started with a trial within a trial to determine if Jackson's caution statement is admissible.
The DPP crown had been relying heavily on the confession made allegedly by Jackson to a police officer.
On Monday the trial within a trial started and this morning, Justice Candace Nanton ruled that both Jackson's oral confession and caution statement were inadmissible. The judge was of the view that after hearing from the crown's police witnesses, that Jackson never gave the statements willingly.
Jackson - appearing in his own defense - told the court that he was beaten by the police to give the statements.
The DPP's office was thus forced to enter a nolle pros motion. A relieved Jackson exited the courtroom and spoke to our court reporter:
Reporter
"Did they have any proof from the get go?"
Jamaal Jackson
"No such proof, just allegations, they said I went through voir dire whereby I was showing that I got beaten by the police and that is what threw out the case, because they submitted that the evidence given by me was supportive enough to throw away the case."
Jackson was first indicted on the charges in 2017, but it took 7 years for the case to go to trial.
