Four male students of the Mannings High School in Westmoreland, were reportedly stabbed during a brawl at the school yesterday morning. Two of the students are said to be in hospital in serious condition, with one having to undergo emergency surgery for punctured lungs.
According to reports, at approximately 8:30 a.m. yesterday, a boy was standing with his sister, when she was approached by a group of male students, one of whom had a knife. The boy with the knife reportedly began wielding the weapon as he neared the siblings, and the brother was allegedly trying to protect his sister when the knife fell from the boy’s hand. The brother, who is a Grade 10 student, reportedly grabbed the knife and began wielding it wildly, injuring four of the boys in the process.
The brother has since been taken into custody, and school was closed for the rest of the day. The school’s principal and staff held an emergency meeting after the incident, and Officers from the Education Ministry are expected to visit the institution today.
18 year old Markland Green appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where he pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm. Green was accused of slapping a schoolgirl in the face, and was sentenced to 200 hours of community service (to be carried out at the Half-Way Tree Courthouse). He was also ordered to apologise aloud to the complainant in court.
The court heard that on the day of the incident, the complainant was walking home along Beckford Street in Downtown Kingston, when Green approached her and reportedly called her by the name of her school. The complainant then reportedly told Green that he should not speak to her, a response which angered him. Green then became boisterous, and used indecent language at the complainant, prompting her to do the same. Green the reportedly used his hands to hit the complainant on both sides of her face several times then walked away.
He was later arrested and charged. The complainant, who was accompanied in court yesterday by her mother, later told the court that she had accepted the apology and would not be claiming any compensation.
Richard Brown appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where he pleaded not guilty to unlawful wounding charges. Brown admitted in court that he ‘boxed’ (slapped) the mother of his child in her face because of her alleged shortcomings as a mother.
The court heard that the defendant and complainant were involved in a heated argument over their child, which led the defendant to hit the complainant in the face. The impact of the ‘box’ caused the complainant’s nose to bleed, and there was also a swelling to the left side of her face.
In his defence, Brown told the court that he hit the complainant because she had not adjusted herself well as a mother, as she continued to attend street dances regularly, and neglected their child. Resident Magistrate Georgiana Fraser then told Brown that perhaps the complainant was not ready to be a mother. Brown reportedly replied, “a three pickney she have,” which caused some laughter in the court.
Brown’s bail was extended, and he is to return to court on March 15. Both Brown and the defendant were also ordered by the court to undergo counseling.
Stephanie Ebanks, a bartender, of Old Harbour Glades in St. Catherine, appeared before the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s Court earlier today, where she faced charges of using indecent language, resisting arrest and assault in connection with an incident that occurred between herself and another woman.
During court proceedings today, investigators indicated that they will also be looking to charge her for allegedly defecating and plastering it on the wall of the Old Harbour Police Station where she was being held. The court was told that she defecated in the police station’s holding area at the front of the building, and then used her slippers to plaster the wall with faeces. In her defence however, her lawyer stated that Ebanks kept asking the police to allow her to use the bathroom in order to perform normal bodily functions, but she was not allowed to do so, hence she messed herself up.
She is to return to court on February 11.
A man who the police say was accused of raping little boys in the Tivoli Gardens community of West Kingston, was found with a single gunshot wound to the head on Bustamante Highway at about 11:40 pm last night. The man was identified as 42 year old Winston Pennington, also called Black John.
According to the police, Pennington was shot at point-blank range. A spent shell and a 9mm round were reportedly found beside his body. Up to this afternoon, the police had no suspects and no leads in the murder, which is the first in the Tivoli Gardens area since its alleged Area Leader, Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, was extradited last year.
Dwayne Blincholm appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court recently, where he pleaded guilty to praedial larceny. Blincholm had reportedly stolen 13 dozen ackees from the Mona campus of the University of West Indies, and was sentenced to 30 days in prison for the offence.
The court heard that Blincholm was arrested and charged after campus security guards held him on the university property, searched his bag, and found the stolen ackees. Despite him telling the court that he had not stolen the ackees intentionally (he claimed he was passing, saw them, and picked them), Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey was not moved, stating “… praedial larceny is costing the country a lot because the little that you stole plus the little that another person steals adds up so, you’re going to spend 30 days in prison for what you did.“
The police in Highgate, St. Mary are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a man who has been linked to the stabbing death of 43 year old Anthony Dennis (aka “Tools”), a jeweler of Lewistore in Highgate. The man being sought is 45-year-old Herbert Clarke (also called “Panty Man”), a vendor of Tremorsworth in Highgate, St. Mary.
Reports indicate that Dennis was stabbed and killed during a dispute with another man who reportedly owed him money.
Shawayne Smith, a 25-year-old labourer of Watermount district in St. Catherine, appeared in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where he faced a charge of assault occasioning bodily harm. Smith is accused of beating his grandmother after his demand for money was not met.
Allegations are that on December 9, at about midday, Smith was at home with his 70 year old grandmother. He reportedly demanded money from her saying, “Mi want money and mi want it badly.” He then allegedly grabbed a broom, and started to beat the complainant on the upper part of her body. She reportedly suffered injuries to her left breast and other parts of her body. It was also revealed to the court that two years ago, Smith had allegedly assaulted the complainant and other family members. The court heard that he suffers from a psychiatric condition, and he was remanded so that treatment could be administered to him. The matter will be heard again in court in February, 2011.
54 year-old Neville Gardener of New Castle, Westmoreland, died last night, after he was reportedly stabbed by his son following an argument with his common-law wife. According to reports, Gardener and his common-law-wife had been having ongoing disputes and at about 10 p.m., they started fighting.
One of Gardener’s sons reportedly intervened, and used a knife to stab his father. Gardener was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he later died. The son has since been taken into custody by the Bethel Town Police who are investigating.
December 11, 1962 – Members on both sides of the House of Parliament shout, curse and swear at each other, using words such as “fool” and “liar” during a debate on the use of Vale Royal as the official residence for the Minister of Finance, Donald Sangster.
Iris King is described by Edward Seaga as “a filthy liar”, and she retorts, “you must be talking about your mother.” Tavares is told by King to “shut up and look about your home troubles”, and there is a comment by Tavares which King claims to be an obscenity. More words are shouted including “stinking liar”, “stinking fool” and “babies, pregnancies and jackets.”
Source – Gleaner Archives
