After spending 47 days in custody on gun and robbery charges, St Catherine musician Shamar Champagne says he was amused when the woman who accused him of armed robbery claimed she had seen him in a nightmare — as the driver.
Champagne, who was freed last week, said the revelation was one of several twists in a case he maintains was built around a crime he did not commit.
“She said that months after the incident, she kept having nightmares and she would see the robber’s face in a nightmare, and that’s how she was able to ‘identify him’,” Champagne’s attorney-at-law Richard Lynch said in a further statement.
“It was quite funny, to be honest. It was a bit weird hearing that,” the 33-year-old musician told The Sunday Gleaner following his release.
Both Champagne and his lawyer argued that the woman’s original statement indicated that she had seen only one person during the alleged robbery. That individual had already been charged and was before the court. However, Champagne was subsequently identified and pointed out by the woman.
‘… saw me in a nightmare’
“She said she saw me in a nightmare as the driver, changing everything, really,” Champagne said.
Initially, Champagne said, he was charged with the same allegations as his co-accused, Leon Pennicooke, of robbing the woman at gunpoint.
Lynch noted that the prosecution’s decision to offer no evidence was based on the inadequacy of the material available to support the case, particularly the identification evidence.
“The material that they had to work with was woefully inadequate in terms of material and identification,” Lynch said.
He pointed to the description contained in the complainant’s initial statement, saying there were not sufficient identifying features to adequately describe Champagne.
Police allege that about 6:30 a.m. on September 18, 2025, a woman was standing along Port Henderson Road, near Greater Portmore, when a black Honda Stream motor car stopped and two men approached her.
It is alleged that Pennicooke pointed a firearm at the woman and that the two men robbed her of a knapsack valued at $3,000, containing an iPhone 12 Pro Max and an iPhone XR.
Champagne was subsequently charged with robbery with aggravation and possession of a prohibited weapon.
He, however, insists that he knew nothing about the robbery.
Champagne said he was arrested on May 19 while driving along South Camp Road in Kingston after noticing a marked police vehicle following him.
He said he stopped at a traffic light, believing the officers might approach him.
According to Champagne, another police vehicle then pulled in front of his car and officers emerged with guns drawn.
“I was shouting to them that it’s just me in the vehicle,” he recalled.
He said the officers searched him and the vehicle before handcuffing him and taking him into custody.
“I was brought into custody not knowing anything but the fact that the vehicle was involved in some criminal activity, which they said was a robbery,” he said.
Champagne said he was charged on May 27 after participating in an identification parade and a question-and-answer session in the presence of an attorney.
“It was kind of weird to think that she had seen one person and they had already pointed out somebody,” he said.
Champagne said he did not know the complainant or Pennicooke before the case.
Meanwhile, he described his 47 days at the ‘100 Man’ lock-up as “one of the worst experiences” of his life.
“It was tight. It was extremely hot right through the day,” he said.
He said the number of inmates sharing the space fluctuated between three and seven.
The experience, he said, also took a toll on his career and reputation.
“It really put a dent in my career,” said Champagne, who lives in Portmore and works as a musician.
He said it was difficult to see his name associated with criminal activity and gangs when, according to him, he had never been involved in such activities.
Firearm allegation was particularly troubling
According to the musician, the firearm allegation was particularly troubling because of the potential consequences of a conviction.
He declined to comment on the wider debate surrounding Jamaica’s firearms sentencing regime.
Instead, he said the experience had changed his outlook and would influence the direction of his music.
“I’d be doing a lot differently,” he said.
The former Camperdown High School student said he intends to explore different genres and other creative ventures rather than focusing solely on songwriting and singing.
Music has been part of his life since childhood, and he said he entered the industry fresh out of high school.
Now free, Champagne said he is focused on rebuilding his life and career.
His message to the public is that allegations do not always tell the full story.
“Sometimes some situations are really unfortunate. Everything is not what it seems,” he said.
“In my case, I was painted as a specific type of person. … I am far away from being any of such. I’m not of that nature.”
tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com
