There were startling revelations this week in a court case which stemmed from a gay party which took place in Jacks Hill, St. Andrew in December 2004.

The court was told that at the party, there were men dressed in G-string panties and bikinis and there were women who were dressed like men.

A dispute developed between some of the persons who were at the party and one of the men was fatally stabbed.

Sasha Smith, 27, a former female footballer, of Maverley, Kingston 20, and Oneil Mitchell, 24, newspaper vendor, of a Kingston address, who were at the party, were arrested and charged with the murder of 25-year-old Garfield Hamilton of Nannyville, Kingston 3.

Evidence was given at the trial in the Home Circuit Court that on December 26, 2004, there was a gay party at Farringdon Drive in Jacks Hill. There was a confrontation between Smith and another woman, and Smith stabbed the woman.

Chased

Smith was chased by Hamilton and other persons who threw missiles at her.

They cornered Smith by a fence. Hamilton, who had a long knife, stabbed Smith and Smith also stabbed him.

Hamilton was in the process of stabbing Smith again when Mitchell intervened.

Defence lawyers Lynden Wellesley and Linton Walters submitted that the three eyewitnesses were unreliable, because they gave conflicting statements as to what took place. The lawyers maintain that Smith and Mitchell acted in self-defence. They said Mitchell was protecting Smith and had a legal right to do so.

Ms. Justice Kay Beckford upheld the no-case submissions yesterday and directed the 12-member jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty, freeing Smith and Mitchell.