Dancehall star Ninjaman found GUILTY of murder

Last updated: 21 November 2017, 12:51 pm

Dancehall artiste Ninjaman has been found guilty of murder at Jamaica’s in the Supreme Court.

He was also found guilty of shooting with intent.

Ninjaman, whose given name is Desmond Ballentine, was charged along with his son Jahneil with the March 2009 murder of Ricardo Johnson, also known as Trooper, on Marl Road in Kingston.

The jury, made up for four men and three women, took three hours to come to their decision.

The case was recently transferred to a special court that handles cases on the books for more than five years.

There had already been 17 trial dates and 23 mentions.

The dancehall deejay, who was granted bail in 2012, was taken into custody four weeks ago after his bail was revoked by High Court judge Justice Martin Gayle, who ordered that the murder trial should begin immediately.

Two weeks into trial, Ninjaman suffered a mild heart attack and was rushed to hospital.

"Don't worry yuhself, Jamaica, I'll be back," he said as he got into a police vehicle after the trial, reported the Jamaica Gleaner.

Hailing from the parish of St Mary, Ninjaman came to prominence in the 1980s. He is known for songs including Artical Don, Border Clash, and Cover Me featuring Tinga Stewart.

The deejay also had a major role in the local action movie Third World Cop in 1999.