JAILED DANCEHALL star Vybz Kartel will appeal will his murder conviction in the United Kingdom next month.

Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, is currently serving a minimum of 32 years in a Jamaican prison, after he was found guilty of killing an associate Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams in 2014.

US-based Fox 5 News, spoke to Kartel’s lawyer, Isat Buchanan, who said the hearing is expected to take place on 14 February at the UK’s Privy Council – which serves as the highest court of appeal for several Commonwealth countries including Jamaica.

“We are looking for a complete overturn of the conviction,” Buchanan told the news outlet.

During the trial, one of the key pieces of evidence used to convict Kartel was a text message believed to be sent from his phone. Buchanan claims this evidence was tampered with and hopes the entertainer will walk free this year.

He said: “Our hope is that the Privy Council in reviewing the evidence including the fresh evidence that will be put before them, would come to the conclusion that everyone who has looked at the case or certainly has access to the material, will find that the conviction is unsafe and cannot stand.”

According to case details, the London-based hearing’s start date is 14 February 14 and will end on February 15 2024.

The 48-year-old star has been behind bars for almost a decade, along with Shawn Campbell, who is best known as dancehall star Shawn Storm, Kahira Jones and André St John.

Appeal

According to reports, the appeals of Campbell, Jones and St John who will also be heard in London.  

Kartel’s highly-publicised trial lasted 65 days and was the longest-running court case in Jamaica’s history.

Last year, it was reported that the imprisoned entertainer’s health had deteriorated and he is battling Graves’ Disease.

Kartel was sentenced to life in prison, with eligibility for parole after 35 years. Campbell and Jones would be eligible for parole after 25 years, while St John would be eligible after serving 15 years.

If the upcoming appeal at the Privy Council is dismissed, Kartel will be eligible for parole in 2046.

Jamaica’s Court of Appeal dismissed the four of the men’s appeals in April 2020, which was welcomed by Williams’ family.

“We are pleased with the outcome of the verdict from the Court, while we continue to grieve the loss of our brother, son, uncle,” a release from the family said.

But later the court granted the four men permission to take their case to the Privy Council in the UK so that they can pursue an attempt to overturn their convictions.

Kartel remains one of Jamaica’s biggest music stars and is fondly referred to as the ‘King of the Dancehall.’

Some of his biggest hits include Clarks and Summer Time.

At the height of his career, Kartel also branched out into other areas of business and launched successful lines of shoes, condoms and alcohol. His popularity in Jamaica and around the world also saw him become the first dancehall artist to star in his own reality TV show.