Attorney representing veteran dancehall deejay Desmond 'Ninja Man' Ballentine, Valerie Neita Robertson K.C., said the deejay is doing well mentally as he awaits his upcoming appearance at the local Court of Appeal.
In an interview with THE STAR , the attorney, while remaining tight-lipped about most details of the case, said that the artiste has been "hanging in there". "He's finding stuff to do while he's there - his usual helping people and all a dat. Mentally he's okay, he's doing well.
His friends and family [are] supporting him and he's keeping active," said Neita Robertson. The 'Don Gorgon' was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in November 2017 for the murder of Ricardo Johnson in March 2009. He was convicted along with his son, Janeil Ballentine, and Dennis Clayton.
Ninja Man, who is known for his witty lyrical character in dancehall, was sentenced to serve at least 25 years in prison before he was eligible for parole. During the murder trial, the artiste appeared to have suffered a mild heart attack which created uncertainty around the completion of the trial. However, after being whisked away to the Kingston Public Hospital, the deejay was said to be "okay" and taken back to the courtroom on the day.
Following the ruling in the Supreme Court, then Director of Public Prosecution, Paula Llewellyn, said "it was a difficult case". "Circumstantial evidence cases are difficult cases. The Crown had to prove that there was a common design to cause serious bodily harm.