The Crown on Thursday urged the Court of Appeal to uphold the convictions and sentences of dancehall entertainer Desmond ‘Ninjaman’ Ballentine and his co-accused, arguing that there was compelling evidence that they acted together to murder Ricardo Johnson.

Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Kathy Ann Pyke told the court that the trial judge was correct in refusing to withdraw the case from the jury as the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence upon which a reasonable jury, properly directed, could convict.

The two-day appeal hearing before the three-member panel of Justices David Fraser, Lorna Shelly Williams, and Marcia Dunbar-Green ended yesterday, with the court reserving judgment.