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Jamaica Observer – Dantay Brooks the son of dancehall artiste David “Mavado” Brooks and his co-accused Andre Hinds were yesterday found guilty of the 2018 murder of Lorenzo “Israel” Thomas in Cassava Piece, St Andrew.
The two, who were also found guilty of arson, are to be sentenced on March 12.
They were tried before Supreme Court judge Justice Leighton Pusey for the murder of Thomas who was shot and killed on June 5, 2018 and his body burnt beyond recognition after his house was set afire.
During the 12-day trial, which began on January 11, the prosecution presented evidence from 14 witnesses including Thomas’s father. The court heard that on the day before the incident, the elder Thomas received word that his son was going to be killed and made arrangements for him to stay elsewhere.
Later that day, the elder Thomas said he visited his son to give him some money for food and upon returning home he passed the accused men before entering his yard.
According to the elder Thomas, he went into his yard and later saw his son arrive at the house. He said he saw the two accused men and other individuals standing near his fence for a couple hours and pointed this out to his son.
Thomas said shortly after 3:30 am he heard when the door to his son’s front bedroom was “kicked off”, followed by what sounded like explosions. He said he then saw his son falling to the ground while clutching his chest, and the two accused men and two others in his son’s room.