Mavado’s Son And Co-Accused Freed After Court Of Appeal Finds Trial Judge’s Error

The Court of Appeal has overturned the murder convictions of Dantay Brooks, son of dancehall star David “Mavado” Brooks, and his co-accused, Andre Hinds. The decision, handed down on Friday, March 7, 2025, cited significant errors in the trial judge’s handling of identification evidence and issues with the credibility of the sole eyewitness.

Both men had been serving life sentences for the brutal 2018 murder of Lorenzo Thomas in Cassava Piece, St. Andrew. Brooks was sentenced to life imprisonment with a stipulation of serving 22 years before parole, while Hinds faced 17 years before parole. Additional sentences for arson and illegal firearm possession were to run concurrently.

The Court of Appeal, presided over by Justices Marva McDonald-Bishop, David Fraser, and Kissock Laing, ruled that the trial judge had failed to sufficiently warn himself of the dangers inherent in the identification evidence presented. The sole eyewitness’s credibility was also called into question.

“We are of the view that the failure of the learned trial judge to adequately warn himself of the dangers inherent in the identification evidence, combined with the deficiencies in his treatment of the identification and matters going to the credibility of the prosecution’s sole eyewitness, resulted in the applicants being deprived of the safeguards developed by law to prevent the ‘ghastly risk’ of conviction on unreliable evidence,” the judges stated in their published judgment.

The court heard the appeal on December 10 and 11 last year and later reserved judgment.

The prosecution acknowledged the trial judge’s errors and refrained from seeking a retrial.

Attorney-at-law Tamika Harris, who represented Brooks during the initial trial, described the appellate ruling as a reaffirmation of the case’s merits.
“We respect the judicial process at all levels and are pleased that the Court of Appeal has ruled in our favor. This decision reaffirms the merits of our case and underscores the important legal principles at stake,” Harris said.

Harris also noted the challenges of the appeal process, adding:

“I know that certain grounds were common to both appellants as it pertains to the directions that the trial judge  gave  and the credibility of the witness. I would like to see the written decision first so I can comment in a more informed way. Kudos to the team, a lot of hard work went into the process,” he said. 

The 2018 incident involved a home invasion where Thomas was shot, his body set ablaze, and an attempt was made to sever his head. The prosecution’s case relied heavily on the testimony of Thomas’ father, who alleged he recognized Brooks and Hinds as members of the group responsible.