A 16-year-old grade-11 student of the Vauxhall High School in east Kingston, is now nursing seven stitches to the nose and two stitches to the head, after he allegedly attacked a teacher with a knife, but was disarmed and beaten up by the teacher. The incident reportedly took place last week Tuesday (February 16), and left the teacher nursing injuries as well.
Angella Chaplin, principal of Vauxhall High, is defending the actions of her teacher, and reportedly said “The boy attacked the teacher with a long knife and the teacher dealt with the situation admirably …. He is a problem child who comes to school and smokes ganja and, even though I don’t give up on my children, I think he will have to take leave and return to sit his external examinations.”
The teenager, who reportedly spent a day in hospital, is denying that he attacked the teacher with the knife, but has admitted that he had taken it to school and attempted to prevent the teacher from confiscating it. According to him, he and the teacher started to wrestle for the knife, and the teacher kicked him, so he grabbed a piece of board and used it to hit the teacher. He alleges that the teacher took the piece of board from him, and then proceeded to beat him with it, allegedly while he was lying defenseless on the floor.
The boy’s mother is quoted today in the media, seemingly focusing more on the fact that her son was beaten up, and less on the fact that he carried a knife to school and fought the teacher who was trying to disarm him. She is quoted saying “The teacher … had disarmed my son, so why did he hit him? Yes, my son was wrong to take the knife to school, but the teacher obviously lost it.“
Two warehouse attendants, 29 year old Oral Billett and 29 year old Ricardo Allen, who are accused of stealing 44 cases of Monster energy drink (valued at over J$132,000), pleaded not guilty when they appeared in the Spanish Town Criminal Court recently. Their $50,000 bail was extended to May 10, when the matter will again be mentioned.
Allegations are that on January 25, 2010, while working at the Wisynco warehouse in Lakes Pen, Spanish Town, the men were given an order invoice to take out one case of Monster energy drink. However, it was later discovered that 44 cases were take out and loaded onto a delivery truck.
The police were called in, and the men were arrested and charged with simple larceny of the energy drink. They were later given $50,000 station bail.
A 22 year old man, who is accused of orchestrating the brutal gang rape of his 21 year old girlfriend, was denied bail when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court earlier this week. The man, who is of a Spanish Town, St. Catherine address, and a 16 year old juvenile, are jointly charged with rape and robbery with aggravation. The police have reportedly launched a manhunt for five other men who are suspected to be involved in the incident, which occurred on February 5.
According to reports, the woman had accompanied her boyfriend to meet his aunt whom he said would provide employment for her at a wholesale store. However, instead of taking her to see the aunt, he allegedly took her to his cousin’s house where he demanded sex, and verbally and sexually assaulted her. The complainant was fearful, and complied with his demands for sex, then the accused allegedly took her to another one-bedroom dwelling on the premises, and commanded her to have sex with his friend. She refused, but while she was in the room, a man came in, slapped her across the face, and forced her to have sex with him.
It is alleged that five other men entered the room and also sexually assaulted her. One of the men also robbed her of her cellphone and jewelry. Acting on information, the police came on the scene, and the men ran. The boyfriend and the juvenile were however arrested and charged. Both men are to return to court on March 1.
28 year old Renaldo Bryan, who smashed the door of an ATM when he discovered that it was not working, appeared in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where he was put on 12 months probation with supervision, and ordered to pay $20,0o0 to repair the ATM door.
According to reports, some time in January 2010, Bryan went to the National Commercial Bank ATM in the Portmore Mall. When he realized that the machine was not working, he reportedly became angry and kicked the door several times, smashing it. Bryan pleaded guilty to the charge of malicious destruction of an ATM door, and tried to explain to the magistrate that at the time, he was sick with the flu and needed money for lunch, and got into a temper when he couldn’t get any cash.
The magistrate recommended that he get professional counseling on anger management during the 12 month probation period.
A popular doctor in Falmouth, Trelawny, and a woman from the same parish, are booked to appear before the Falmouth Resident Magistrate’s Court next week (on February 24), for illegal terminating the pregnancy of a 13 year old girl some time in August 2009.
According to the police, the 44 year old doctor has been charged with procuring abortion; procuring drugs for abortion; child endangerment; being an accessory after the fact; and failing to report a crime. The 36 year old woman, whose son allegedly impregnated the minor, has been slapped with similar charges. The police are now reportedly on the hunt for her son, who has gone into hiding.
According to reports, some time in August last year, the young girl (who is now 14), got pregnant and was taken to the doctor, who allegedly performed the abortion. It is further alleged, that the girl got pregnant once again this year, and visited the doctor last week Thursday (February 11), ostensibly for another abortion. The police were however tipped off, and moved in, nabbing the woman and doctor. The girl then reportedly told the police all that had transpired.
Both the Doctor and the woman were taken into custody, and charged the following day. They are both currently out on bail. The girl has been placed in protective custody.
A pregnant woman, Erica Gardener, who attempted to leave the island with 11 1/2 pounds of ganja hidden in her brassiere and waist, was sentenced to three months in prison, and fined J$15,000, after she pleaded guilty to drug charges in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court. If the fine is not paid, she will serve an additional six months in prison.
Gardener was arrested at the Norman Manley International Airport on February 6, when she checked in to board a flight destined for Curacao. She was held after the police notice an unusual bulge in her waist. She was searched, and six small packages of ganja were found, while four other small packages were found inside her brasserie.
In addition to the mandatory three month sentence that was handed down, Gardener was fined $2500 or six months in prison – for possession of ganja, $5000 or six months in prison – for dealing in ganja, and $7500 or three months in prison – for attempting to export ganja. If the fines are not paid, the sentences will run concurrently, but consecutive to the mandatory sentence.
In court, Gardener’s lawyer pleaded with the judge to have mercy on his client, who he said was experiencing complications as a result of her pregnancy. The resident magistrate however had no sympathy, and Gardener sentenced.
A family dispute, which led to a three-year-old child being kidnapped in Clarendon on Valentine’s Day, ended yesterday, when the child was returned in exchange for a gold chain and $4,000.
According to police reports, the child was with his aunt, and was kidnapped in Frankfield, Clarendon, by a man who was traveling in a white car. According to the police, within an hour of the kidnapping, a ransom of $500,000 was demanded. After several hours of negotiation however, the ransom was reduced to a gold chain and $4,000. The child was released at 6:30 p.m. yesterday, unhurt, at the Percy Junor Hospital gate in Spaldings.
38 year old Beverley Ann Shaw, and her daughter, 22 year old Tasy Shaw, appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court recently, where they were fined over J$8,000 and sentenced to six months in prison for possession of ganja, dealing in ganja and taking steps to export ganja. They had been arrested and charged on February 6.
According to reports, both women checked in at the airport to board a flight to Trinidad. However, while they were being interviewed Narcotics police, they were unable to give satisfactory reasons for their travel. They were taken to the Kingston Public Hospital, where they were x-rayed, and later expelled a total of 70 pellets containing ganja.
Both pleaded guilty to the charges. Beverly Ann Shaw was fined $1600 or six months for possession, $3200 or six months for dealing in ganja and $6400 or six months for taking steps to export ganja. Her daughter, Tasy Shaw, was fined $1400 or six months for possession, $2800 or six months for dealing in ganja and $4200 or six months for taking steps to export ganja. If the fines are not paid, the sentences will run concurrently, but consecutive to mandatory six month sentences that both also received.
A pastor is now in hospital, battling for his life, after he was stabbed multiple times by criminals who surprised him at his Red Hills home in St Andrew last night. He has been identified as Reverend Donald Roberts, pastor of Clifton New Testament Church of God, located on Mannings Hill Road in St. Andrew.
According to reports, Roberts arrived at his home, and confronted by three armed men. He reportedly tried to resist, and was stabbed several times.
According to the police, two men were being questioned by detectives, after they were seen running in the vicinity of the crime scene.
Philippe Hadid, a Haitian national, was arrested yesterday morning at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, as he attempted to board American Airlines flight 1504 to Miami. Hadid, who is also said to be a Jamaican by marriage, was found with six plastic bags containing over 42 pounds of gold scrap jewellery worth an estimated J$27 million. He reportedly had no license to ship the jewellery, no permit to trade in the precious metal and no proof of purchase, and was thus arrested and charged with dealing in second hand jewellery and unlawful possession of property.
The police reportedly suspect that the jewellery represents the spoils of numerous home and street robberies. Hadid is believe to be a major player in the thriving black market for stolen jewellery, and since his arrest, they’ve issued a call for persons who have been robbed of their jewellery to contact the Half- Way-Tree Police Station immediately at 926-8186.
