Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

A 12-member jury retired for more than three hours yesterday before convicting Steven Grant, 33, businessman of Queen Hill, St. Andrew, of the murder of a schoolboy.

Grant was on trial for the last three weeks for the murder of 17-year-old Dunoon Technical High School student Kymani Bailey.

Justice Paulette Williams has put off sentencing until next week Thursday in the Home Circuit Court.

The Crown, represented by Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn, and Crown Counsels Dahlia Findlay and Karen Seymour Johnson, led evidence that Bailey was shot 13 times in a car park in New Kingston on April 18, 1999. The body was found face down with 11 gunshot wounds to the back and two to the front.

Evidence was given at the trial that a relative had taken Bailey to a nightclub in New Kingston to celebrate his birthday. Bailey left the club some time after 4:00 a.m., saying he was going outside to urinate, and was then fatally shot.

Grant was convicted of the murder in February 2003, but the United Kingdom Privy Council quashed the conviction and in the interest of justice sent back the case, because a particular Crown witness could not be found and the statement was not put in evidence.

In an unsworn statement from the dock, Grant said he left a bar about 4:00 a.m. and was urinating near a wall in New Kingston when he heard someone behind him saying "Don't move".

He said the man had a gun and he fired at him in self-defence.

Grant was represented by K. Churchill Neita, Q.C., and attorneys-at-law Jacqueline Samuels-Brown and Christopher Townsend.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com