Alleged female gangster tried to bribe cop to release her boss

The alleged female Clansman-One Don Gang member, who is said to be a pastor, had reportedly tried to bribe the police to release reputed leader Andre 'Blackman' Bryan.

A prosecutor told the Home Circuit Court yesterday that a police inspector who was investigating the gang had reported that the defendant, Stephanie Christie, had approached him after Bryan was taken into custody on reasonable suspicion in 2016. "It is alleged that she did offer him money," the prosecutor said.

"And I imagine he did say no," Chief Justice Bryan Sykes replied. The prosecutor said that "from time to time" Christie would approach the officer seeking information about ongoing investigations as he was the head of the gang investigation unit then.

"In effect what I am being told is that Mrs Christie attempt to bribe the police but was never charged," the judge said. "That is so My Lord," the prosecutor answered.

The now retired inspector is being called by the prosecution to identify an alleged gang member who was not identified by either of the two ex-members who are now state witnesses.

The officer, who the court heard had spoken at length with the witness and had seen him, is expected to use the conversation that was secretly recorded by the ex-gangster to identify the witness through his voice.

The ex-gangster, who had recorded the conversations that he had with alleged gang members, had testified that he had never seen the alleged gangster who he calls 'City Puss' but knows him by voice. He said that City Puss had an evil voice and they would speak over the phone regularly.

The other ex-gang member had testified that he too had never seen the gang's alleged second in command but that he had spoken to him over the phone.

In the meanwhile, the judge is to have a hearing today to determine if he will be allowing the police witness to give evidence.

Sykes is of the view that the police's evidence that the defendant is known to him and that they had spoken at the police station and on telephone is merely an assertion as the prosecution has no supporting evidence.