Dancehall artist Skeng has been freed after a judge threw out a case against the artist for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest stemming from a 2022 incident.
The artist appeared in court with his attorney, Christopher Townsend, at his case management hearing while a bench warrant was issued for him in another court. During the appearance, Townsend spoke on behalf of his client and urged that the judge dismiss the matter because of the fact that it has been going on for a long time and not proceeding past the disclosure stage.
The attorney argued that despite a date set for case management, the prosecution had not made “proper disclosure” despite the length of time since the rapper was first charged.
Skeng, whose real name is Kevaun Douglas, was arrested on May 24, 2022, at the Norman Manley International Airport after allegedly getting involved in an argument with airport security while attempting to board his flight.
The dancehall artist was on his way to perform at an event in Trinidad and Tobago. The artist had pleaded not guilty to the charges when he appeared at the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Court.
On Thursday, Townsend told the judge that the way the matter has transpired in the court is an “abuse of process” since the prosecution was not ready for the matter to proceed.
At the hearing, the presiding judge, Leighton Morris, dismissed the matter. The artist is now freed and will not need to attend court further.
In the meantime, the artist did not appear in court, and it seems that his case was wrongly listed for hearing at another court- the Corporate Area Criminal Court. When the matter was called, and the artist could not be found, the sitting judge issued a warrant for his arrest.
The warrant was later suspended after the rapper appeared in the correct court ahead of the start of his trial.
Skeng has not reacted to the incident, but the young man’s career has taken off since the incident. He is now rumored to be a member of Nicki Minaj’s label and has been seen in the company of the rapper and the likes of Lil Wayne and Mack Maine recently.
