Men in pregnant woman shooting case appeal convictions

Convicted attempted murderers Jahmel Blakeney and Sanchey Grant are appealing to the Court of Appeal to quash their convictions.

The appeal began this morning in front of Court of Appeal President Edward Zacca and his panel.

In November 2011, Blakeney and Grant were unanimously found guilty of the attempted murder of Shaki Minors and his then-pregnant girlfriend, Renee Kuchler, on November 13, 2009.

The trial heard Parkside gang associate Blakeney had orchestrated the hit after seeing Mr Minors, who was a member of rival gang, 42, in the Southside Cinema that night.

He left the cinema and arranged for Grant to carry out the shooting. Grant, who was a member of Parkside, then opened fire at the couple as they sat in their car.

Ms Kuchler, who had only just found out she was pregnant, was shot twice in the abdomen and was later forced to abort the baby.

Mr Minors, 28, was shot once in the left arm, twice in the right arm and once in the stomach.

Blakeney, son of MP Glenn Blakeney, and Grant were both jailed for 30 years.

Today, lawyer Craig Attridge – representing  Grant - and said the jury was misdirected by the judge in the case.

“The jury were told if you convict Mr Blakeney then you must convict Mr Grant and vice versa. The instruction that if you convict Mr Grant then you convict Mr Blakeney is wrong in law.”

But Mr Zacca said: “If you convict Mr Blakeney, who is the person assisting the shooter, Mr Grant, how could you not convict Mr Grant?”

Mr Attridge also maintained Grant was not the shooter that night and said there were other suspects whocould have carried out the shooting.

“It’s open to the jury to find that another was the shooter. The gloves found in the car didn’t have DNA of Mr Grant but had DNA of someone else who was a member of Parkside.”

Speaking on the evidence, Mr Attridge said: “Mr Grant was found in a car nearly two hours after the shooting took place.

“There is no evidence prior to that shooting or after that shooting that supports evidence that he is the shooter at all.

“There is nothing in my respectful submission other than three particles of GSR to tie him to nay shooting.”

Charles Richardson, Blakeney’s lawyer is expected to make submissions later today and Crown counsel Cindy Clarke will have to respond to both submissions.