Mavado’s hopes of returning home to Jamaica without facing possible prosecution remain doubtful.
The dancehall singer’s attorney recently hinted that he could be returning to Jamaica soon following his son’s freedom. Mavado’s son, Dantay Brooks, was freed of a murder conviction by the Court of Appeal two weeks ago following his life sentence in 2021. The “So Special” singer celebrated the legal win, indicating that he would take legal action against the state.
Dantay Brooks was arrested and charged in June 2018 for the murder of Lorenzo Thomas in Cassava Piece, St. Andrew. Mavado, whose real name is David Brooks, fled the island around the same time and has been residing in the United States since then. Now that the appeal court squashed that murder case against his son and co-accused, Andre Hinds, there was speculation that Mavado could finally return to Jamaica without the cloud of being prosecuted.
However, his attorney recently revealed to the Gleaner that an active arrest warrant is still on the books for his arrest. The dancehall legend is currently wanted by the Jamaica Police Force, JCF, for a case of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, as disclosed by Deputy Superintendent Randy Sweeney, who leads the St Andrew North Police division of the JCF.
While refraining from divulging specific details regarding the incident, Sweeney confirmed the existence of the allegation against the “Beat and Teach” singer. One of the attorneys who represent Mavado and his son, Oswest Senior-Smith, also acknowledged being aware of the warrant that was issued on June 9, 2018. The attorney noted that the warrant stemmed from a complaint filed by Anthony Goulbourne, a man who was charged for allegedly shooting at the singer in June 2018.
In his lengthy statement on Instagram earlier this month, Mavado labeled the system as corrupt. “They also tried to drag my name through the mud to help them carry out their wrongdoings and garner headlines for themselves,” Mavado wrote, stating he is considering legal actions.
The rumors about Mavado’s arrest warrant have been circulating for years. However, this marks the first time his legal representatives or the police force have confirmed its existence.
In the meantime, DSP Sweeney confirmed that he has made several attempts to execute the warrant against Mavado by visiting his known addresses and places he’s known to frequent but could not find the singer. He says he later learned that he is now residing overseas and points to a possible attempt to have him extradited to Jamaica under the Extradition Treaty between Jamaica and the United States.
