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No Justice for Journalist: Kareem Clarke's Alleged Killer Goes Free
posted (June 13, 2019)
When Amandala journalist Kareem Clarke was murdered in mid 2015 - it caused a sensation in the press corps. Clarke was a peaceful, law abiding citizen and a working reporter, and his murder showed how truly random and senseless crime can be.

And tonight, any hope that his family or former media colleagues had for justice, may be slipping away. That's because the man accused of his murder, 21 year old Mark Waight was acquitted today by Justice Colin Williams in a trial without a jury.

The Crown, represented by Senior Crown Counsel Shanice Lovell, had relied mainly on the testimony of a witness who claimed to have seen Waight shoot Clarke.

But, in court, she turned out to be an uncooperative witness. She took the witness stand and denied that she had given the police a statement voluntarily. She said that she was in the "crack" house at the time of the incident and that the police had busted her with drugs. She said the police had promised to give her back her drugs if she cooperated with them and give them a statement.

And because of that, her statement was not admitted into evidence by Justice Williams. Having no other evidence to submit at the trial, Crown Counsel Lovell closed the case for the Crown. With that Waight's attorney, Kathleen Lewis submitted that Waight has no case to answer. Justice Williams upheld the submission and acquitted Waight.

But although Waight was freed of the murder charge he was not free because he has a charge of attempted murder for which trial is still pending.

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