A Newfoundland man cleared of murder charges in the Central American country of Belize is back on Canadian soil and soon headed home to the Rock.

JR Smith was accused of being the getaway driver following a nightclub shooting in July that left two dead and eight injured.

The Mount Pearl man was jailed in a Belize prison for the past five months before being freed on Tuesday due to a lack of evidence, telling local media, “I had nothing to do with it and I’m a free man now and I’m gonna go live free.

Indeed, Smith’s lawyer said he was trying to help people escape the chaotic scene in his vehicle, but was instead accused of assisting the three men who remain behind bars charged with murder.

Smith arrived back in Canada on Wednesday, but is declining further comment given potential legal fallout.

But his family tells VOCM he certainly didn’t deserve what happened, adding he’s an amazing man who fought in Afghanistan and even donated a kidney to a lifelong friend.

Smith had moved to Belize earlier this year, buying and clearing land to build small homes for locals with other vets.

The 43-year-old is hoping to return to Newfoundland by New Year’s.