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The Network of Superwomen

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Founders of Peonies and Intellect, Sharai Campbell (left) and Alecia Newsome. – Phillip Green photo

Western duo leads unique women’s initiative

Michael Nattoo – Staff Reporter

Sharai Campbell and Alecia Newsome are an unlikely pair, and that may be the source of their effortless magic. Campbell had an idea six months ago, and that was all Newsome needed to hear to push her to execute it. Now, a quiet revolution – with a peculiar feminine flavour, is seeping across the West, and when it’s all said and done, for women and young girls, glass ceilings will be shattered, and barriers will be broken, thanks to the now rapidly expanding movement founded by the two women – ‘Peonies and Intellect’.

Peonies and Intellect is a women-only initiative geared at providing a constant flow of access, resources and practical information to women and young girls across Western Jamaica, to help in their journey of success and self-actualization. Each month, at a specific location, the society’s members meet, socialize, and empower each other through seminars, presentations, mentorship and charitable initiatives, all in an effort to expose its members and to increase their connectivity across various sectors in the working world, as well as in personal endeavours.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

“Well, we realized for some time now, particularly between women in the workplace, that there was more competition than collaboration, and we wanted to change that.

There is enough for us all to succeed, and so the two of us got together, and decided to be the change we wanted to see. Essentially, we wanted to have a tribe of women – a network – helping each other on their individual journeys to success,” explained Campbell, the founder of Peonies and Intellect.

Her co-founder, Newsome, also shared her perspective on what drove them to initialize the female empowerment movement, which has grown significantly in the past month. “We also realized specific cases in a general office space where even when working towards a common goal, there was not enough of us as women trying to elevate each other. Instead, there was still this idea of ‘Oh, I’m gonna win!’ and we really wanted to change that also.”

The name ‘Peonies an Intellect’ may seem odd at first, but its symbolism is quite apt for what the inspired women are trying to accomplish. “Peonies signify prosperity, good fortune, honour, and compassion, and that’s exactly what our organization – our movement, is about. The intelligence part of it is pretty much self-explanatory. We want to foster the kind of environment, not just among ourselves, but in the lives of the women who are a part of us, where they can thrive, and know that there is a whole network behind them pushing them in practical ways to achieve whatever they feel would make them successful,” Campbell explained.

ORGANIC GROWTH

In an organic way, the women of Western Jamaica saw the vision of Peonies and Intellect, and in a powerful way, they responded. In their first meeting, which was expected to have at most, 10 people, that number tripled. Then doubled. Even more, the movement, supported by women from all walks of the professional spectrum – lawyers, doctors, investment bankers, among others, has begun to take on a defined structure far earlier than was intended by the founders. But, they are embracing this.

“We thought initially, it was only going to be just a few friends of Sharai and I, but now, we are in excess of 100 women who are now a part of the organization… it’s gotten huge,” shared a beaming Newsome. Backing her up, Campbell added, “It’s just grown organically. We invited some women, who invited other women, and now, here we are.” Peonies and Intellect’s rapid development did not just see a growth in membership, but also in the organizational structure of the society of like-minded professional women. “People are reaching out to us on social media; some have asked about becoming our treasurer, others wanted to know who handled our public relations, others wanted to know if they could speak at our functions, all because they wanted to help in those ways.”

‘WE WANT TO DO THINGS BIGGER’

Why only women though? The answer, for the founders, at least, was simple: men have long since established networks of support, especially for career-building and personal development purposes, and it was high time women in Western Jamaica had the same. “We are not saying women weren’t helping other women in Western Jamaica before we started Peonies and Intellect; rather, we’re saying we acknowledge those efforts, and want to do those things on a much bigger scale,” Campbell pointed out.

“There was also the issue of wanting to find people we could relate to. As a professional and as millennials, it’s hard to juggle our many responsibilities, which we knew other women could relate to, so for me, having this network served as a space to really see how they have been handling those challenges, and to help each other along the way,” Newsome added.

What’s unique about the idea brought forward by Campbell and Newsom is that while a big part of it focused on having the usual presentations geared at inspiring the women to make a change, their true actions went far beyond that. “Sure, hearing the inspiring speech is good, but a week from now, a month from now, when the inspiration wears off, what then? We don’t believe that your network is only supposed to be there when you have these meetings. We believe that your network should be a real thing that benefits you in the real world.” Campbell further disclosed that it is for that reason why a number of initiatives are being rolled out in the coming months, all geared at providing practical ways for women to achieve success.

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE

Sharai Campbell and Alecia Newsome only wanted to bridge the divide between women in the workplace, but now, they are doing so much more. Peonies and Intellect is a movement Western Jamaica never quite knew it needed, but it’s here, and it’s flourishing, and it’s getting bigger. The two women are doing their part to foster productive competition, and with an army of like-minded women walking beside them, they’ll accomplish much more than that. “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” —Mark Twain. It seems Campbell and Newsome have figured out their ‘Why’s’, and so has the growing number of women from Western Jamaica walking with them.

Beloved security guard killed

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Clifton 'Cliffy' Lumley, slain security guard
  • 17-year-old schoolboy detained

Barrington Flemming – Staff Reporter

A family, a school and a company have all been plunged into mourning while a 17-year-old boy now ponders his fate in police custody, after he was detained on Friday in connection with the brutal slaying of 44-year-old security guard, Clifton ‘Cliffy’ Lumley at the Grange Hill High School in Westmoreland.

Lumley, a resident of Llandilo, died on Saturday after undergoing treatment at the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital after he was stabbed while on duty at the school on Friday.

Reports indicate that Lumley was on duty about 2:50 p.m. when he approached a number of boys who purportedly gained entry to the premises by jumping over the fence, and spoke with them, one of whom was serving suspension, entreating them to leave.

The Dean of Discipline also spoke with the boys and told them to leave. The boys left but subsequently returned and it is alleged that a dispute developed between Lumley and the boys and the police were called.

HIT WITH STICK

Lumley, along with two persons, were sitting in front the guardroom when two boys ran towards them. The other persons got up while Lumley stayed.  One of the boys allegedly used a piece of stick to hit Lumley on the shoulder.

Realizing he was under attack, Lumley attempted to run into the guard room when the other boy used a knife to stab him several times.  He was rushed to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital where he later died after undergoing surgery.

Hilary Lumley, Clifton’s sister, says he was the eldest and only boy of six children for their parents and his death has hit the family hard.

“Our father, who is 74 years old, made one scream and cried when he heard. he has since become withdrawn and is not talking much. He and daddy were very close. We had to rush with our mother to hospital where they admitted her for a few hours to stabilize her blood pressure. As for me, I am trying to use work to distract me. I plunge myself into work. That’s how I am fighting to cope because we were very close,” she explained.

She said her brother was a peace-loving person who was helpful to everyone.

“He is always helping people. If he cannot do something for you today, he would schedule another time to help you. Anywhere there was war he would move away. So, I am so deeply hurt.”

 Clifton is the father of three, two daughters 18, 16 and a son, 9 years old.

LOST A GREAT FRIEND

Meanwhile, Elrado ‘Popeye’ Smith, Area Manager of Alpha Security Company for which Clifton was employed up to the time of his death, says the company has lost a major asset and himself, a great friend.

“I rushed to the hospital when I heard. I got a chance to speak with him and I asked him what happened and he told me. I was optimistic that all would be well. But it was not so.”

Smith said he has lost a good friend and neighbour and an exemplary worker.

“He was a personal friend. Lumley was a true professional. He was the quintessential security guard, always neat in his uniform, clean-shaven. He was always prompt, if the shift starts at 7 he would be there from 6:30. There was never a complaint about him, disciplinary complaint or action against him. Any electrical work that I needed he was always there to assist me with it. He was a good person very, helpful very kind.”

‘Bring back the State of Emergency!’

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Michael Nattoo – Staff Reporter

Last week, following Friday’s report of some eight persons being killed across sections of Western Jamaica, six more persons were reported to have been cut down under violent circumstances, effectively marking what has been one of the bloodiest periods in the West since the murder spike in 2018.

As other instances of criminality continue to rise – to include a heist in a section of downtown Montego Bay last Thursday evening, where over 2 million dollars were reportedly stolen, some residents have expressed that they are increasingly becoming fearful.

“Jah know bredda, St. James a gwaan bad enuh. Is like di man dem couldn’t wait fi di State of Emergency fi gweh fi dem start wid dem foolishness again. Mi soon cut enuh, caz mi nuh waa get ketch inna dis,” explained a man, who requested to be identified only as Cyril, in response to a question posed by the Western Mirror. “Unu nuh see it? Unu nuh see how dem slap out di two man dem head back pon Barnett Street Thursday gone? You hear wa mi seh don’t? Mi gone.”

Cyril’s view is just one of many shared with the Western Mirror in a question-and-answer session recently.

“Right now, sir, as soon as sun go down, mi lock shop and head home. Mi prefer lose money before mi lose mi life. Even when mi a go home, mi paranoid, and even after mi reach home, mi still paranoid. It hard to find peace these days, because how tings a run, you never know when somebody feel like seh a your turn fi dead,” shared *Cynthia, a bar operator in  Trelawny. The 36-year-old woman also shared with the Western Mirror that currently, she feels the best option is to get away from Jamaica. “Listen, I know they say foreign a nuh bed of roses, but mi honestly feel like mi woulda do better anywhere but here. I’ve lived in this community all mi life, and if mi cyaa feel safe here, so what’s the sense? Mi nuh know yaa man. It just sticky everywhere you turn.”

*Jevaughn, a 22-year-old  university student, had a different perspective on what’s happening across the West, and was quick to share it with this newsroom. “I know it looks bad because it’s all you hear about in the news, but, objectively speaking, things are not as bad as they seem. If anything, we have a chance to stop things from being as bad as they can be if we act fast. I do have doubts about whether or not we can apply effective remedies, but even with that being the case, things aren’t that bad.” The Business Management Studies student, when quizzed about whether or not he considered migrating as a result of the crime situation, shared: “No. Well, to be honest, I do plan on migrating, but not because of the crime situation. It’s actually a lot worst in some of the places we look at as better options, such as the US. But no, I’m not migrating because of crime. I’m migrating because of a lack of reasonable employment options. Oh also, most of my family is over in the States, so there’s that too.”

Evident in some of the responses were calls by some to reinstate the State of Emergency. In one instance, a high school teacher, who requested to remain anonymous, appeared furious at the lack of reasonable substitutes to crime-fighting, particularly in St. James. “I teach in one of the schools where majority of my students are from the inner-city areas, and though there are a few of them who seem to glorify crime, there are also those who are deathly fearful for their lives. They do not feel safe, any at all. That makes it hard to deal with, and as an educator, that makes my job, and that of others, a lot more difficult than it has to be. How do we expect our children to learn some of these complex subjects, when we have to spend a great deal of time trying to rehabilitate them from the crippling fear that haunts them? It’s a shame that the government hasn’t seen it fit introduce an effective crime-fighting measure that could approximate to the effect the State of Emergency has. It’s one hell of a shame to be honest.”

Though not all responses could be shared in these spaces, a number of them saw residents across the West begging for something to be done about the spiraling crime rate. As one other resident expressed, “This feels a lot like in 2017 or 2018 when we were having all those murders and nothing was being done about it. What ended up happening was the West experiencing historic numbers in murders and crimes. It looks like we headed back there. A time fi wi bring back the State of Emergency.”

8 dead in 3 days

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The area in Rose Heights which was the scene of one of two double murders to rock St. James on Thursday
  • Police kill one

Barrington Flemming – Staff Reporter

The scourge of bloodshed sweeping across the parish of St. James, which included two double murders on Thursday, continues as violence producers struck, claiming the lives of seven men in three days, while a man was shot and killed during an alleged confrontation with the police.

The dead men have been identified as: Duwayne Stennett and Shane Williams, also called ‘Tino’, both of Rose Heights addresses; 38-year-old Omar Melville, shop owner of Canaan district, Ryan Martin, otherwise called ‘Bag Juice’, unemployed of St. John’s; Herbert Dally, otherwise called ‘Jah Son’, mechanic of Orange, two unidentified men and Lance Calvert of Cottage, Salt Spring.

Information on the latest incident involving the two unidentified men is sketchy, but our newsroom understands that the two were attacked and shot dead by unknown assailant (s)on busy Barnett Street shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Earlier Thursday morning, it was reported that a group of men gathered at the front of a yard in Rose Heights shortly after 8 o’clock when three gunmen walked up and opened fire hitting them. The injured were rushed to hospital where Stennett and Williams were pronounced dead.

Dwayne Stennett, one of two men killed in Rose Heights on Thursday morning

About 9.p.m. on Wednesday, Melville was at home at Canaan district, with his girlfriend, when they heard someone outside calling for ‘serve’at the shop. Melville went outside to the shop to attend to who was calling, when armed men alighted from a white motorcar and opened gunfire hitting him.

The men entered the motorcar and made good their escape. The police were alerted and on arrival, Melville was seen lying facing down in a pool of blood inside his shop suffering from gunshot wounds to his upper body.

He was rushed to the CRH where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

POLICE KILLING

Just under two hours later, about 10:57 p.m., a police party was in Cottage, Salt Spring, when they reportedly came under heavy gunfire. The lawmen said they took evasive action and returned the fire. When the shooting subsided, one man was seen suffering from gunshot wounds. He was subsequently identified as Calvert, who was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. One 9mm pistol and four 9 mm cartridges were allegedly seized at the scene.

Lance Calvert, who was fatally shot in an alleged shootout with police in Cottage, Salt Spring on Wednesday

Meanwhile, Tuesday also saw two murders being committed, when about 3:30p.m., Martin is reported to have taken his Zhunjain motorcycle to a garage along the Retirement main road in Granville, St. James, to have it repaired. Shortly after, residents reported hearing explosions in the vicinity of the garage and alerted the police.

The police came to the scene where they discovered Martin lying on his back in a pool of blood along a footpath between a shop and a jerk centre with a gunshot wound to the right side of his head.  

The crime sleuths did not get any chance to rest as they were called to another homicide scene just under an hour later at the Orange Ball Ground, where Dally’s body was discovered lying on its back with what appeared to be gunshot wounds to the chin and left ear.

Konshens performs at Ayesha Curry’s birthday party

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Konshens

Michael Nattoo – Staff Reporter

Admittedly, dancehall star Konshens has been MIA from the local scene, but it seems that’s been for a very good, shall we say, splashing cause. Sure, that didn’t quite make any sense, but you’ll get that reference soon, probably. Okay, here’s what we found out – apparently, Konshens has been hitting way above his weight and has been rubbing shoulders with some heavy hitters. Who might those be? Well, does the name ‘Curry’ ring a bell? No, not the spice. THE Curry, Steph that is. The Splash King (Get the reference now?) If you’re still struggling to get it, we’re talking about basketball superstar and the greatest shooter the game of basketball has ever seen, Steph Curry, also called Chef Curry.

Yes, good people, get a taste of this Curry! Apparently, wife of the famed basketball star, Ayesha Curry, recently had a surprise birthday party thrown for her by her hubby, and just who did the power couple invite? None other than Mr. ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ himself, Mr. Konshens. And make no mistake about it – the party was star-studded, and included the likes of Gabrielle Union, Tamera Mowry, Jessica Alba and Mia Wright, just to name a few. In that room full of stars, we’re hearing that Konshens shone. Oh, he wasn’t the only invited dancehall star, either. Also partying with the heavy hitters was Hood Celebrity. I’m sure we don’t have to say more at this point, but we will. In a word, the party was LIT (‘off the chains’ for you old folks).

Why a Jamaican-themed party? Well, Jamaica’s influence is practically everywhere, but we learnt the reason went far beyond our culture’s welcomed pervasiveness. It was revealed that Ayesha Curry’s parents are of Afro-Jamaican and Chinese-Jamaican descent, and from all indications, the mother of three is no stranger to Caribbean (ahem, Jamaican) culture!

Videos of the lively birthday celebration were quite naturally all over social media, and you could see clips of the Curry’s getting down to some good old dancehall music, and were more so into it when Konshens took the microphone, and was joined by Hood Celebrity. It’s a good thing they delivered, as comments like these from Ayesha’s superstar friends made it all worth it: “Happy Birthday Ayesha,” Gabrielle Union wrote on Instagram. “So glad we could sneak up to the Bay and surprise you! S/O to Steph for keeping her laughing and smiling and on the dance floor all night and that bomb food!!! Good times!! Until the next adventure…,” she added.

The others all hit right in that neighbourhood. It was good on our musicians to represent, and hopefully, these connections are being capitalized on. Happy belated, Ayesha!

Wadadah, Faulkland into semis

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HEADS UP! In pouring rain, Wadadah’s Denyu Ricketts (R) effortlessly gets the ball over the head of Lucea’s Demar Dohman (back to camera), while teammate Oshane Hunter, looks on during their JFF Charley’s JB Rum Western CONFED Super League match played at UDC field on Sunday. Wadadah won the affair 1-0 to move into the semi-final.

Noelita Lawrence – Staff Repporter

Substitute Shannoy Anderson nicked in a late winner, cancelling out two spectacular super strikes, as overwhelming favourites, Faulkland, and title holders Wadadah, punched their tickets to the semi-finals of the JFF Charley’s JB Rum Western CONFED Super League with wins in Sunday’s round of games.

At Wespow, Faulkland survived a late surge to snatch a sensational 2-1 victory over Hopewell, while Wadadah clipped Lucea 1-0 at UDC.

In Tucker, Anderson tapped in a loose ball at the back post five minutes from time, mere minutes after being introduced to the contest as Faulkland maintained their string of success, carving out a League-high 11th victory of the season.

In what can be described as one of the best games to date in the League, slick, snappy, one-touch passes played at a very high tempo on a well-grassed field delighted the fans who braved the rain as both teams, producing high quality football, delighted the crowd.

The contest was duly rewarded with two spectacular goals which had the teams’ level  before Anderson snatched all points for the Kenneth Watsoncoached unit.

Faulkland went ahead in sensational fashion when Marvin Sangster uncorked a peach 30 yard strike on the run which rocketed into the top corner of the net, in off the outstretched fingertips of the flying Hopewell goalkeeper.

The strike came in the 54th minute.

However, as the game went on, Hopewell, having the better of the chances rang in the changes, and found themselves back on level terms with an equally sensational strike from the laces of Shirvnarine Brown, who curled a beauty, midway up the post into the back of the net, past a diving Faulkland goalkeeper.

Brown benefited from an explosive run down the flank by the energetic Kenroy Campbell, who tormented and teased defenders for the entire affair with his runs and skills with the ball at his feet.

The defeat halted the push of the Hopewell team, but they remain in third position.

WATERY AFFAIR

Elsewhere, defending champions Wadadah, behind a tap-in from a saved penalty kick from the returning Matthew Thorpe, sealed their spot as they cannot finish lower than third, thanks to a 1-0 win over Lucea in their late-starting battle played in heavy rain and slippery underfoot conditions.

Wadadah, the reigning mid-season champion, were awarded the penalty after Oshane Hunter was wiped out inside the penalty area attempting a shot.

Thorpe failed on his first attempt, but recovered to tap in the rebound.

In the meantime, four teams including Falmouth remain in the running for a semi-final slot, despite failing to get maximum points.

Falmouth, with their legion of young stars, had to settle for a 1-1 draw with a resurgent Sandals South Coast who sit outside the playoffs spot in sixth place.

After a brisk early going without any success, Sandals South Coast went ahead in the 43rd minute when veteran striker, Ron Daley, netted.

Falmouth, in-front of their home crowd, replied almost instantaneously through Ricardo James, 60 seconds later.

Sheldon Smith and Carlington Johnson both scored for their teams in either halves as Grand Palladium and Harmony also shared points in a 1-1 draw.

MAIDEN WIN

Promoted Somerton needed a 14th match to break their winless jinx, as they clipped Delveland Police Youth Club by the odd goal in three (2-1).

First half goals by Kaywana Harvey and Hakeem Graham in the 21st and 43rd minutes did the business for the Somerton team, pressing for the last four outings.

Delveland got what turned out to be a consolation, and forced a tense end to the clash when they converted a penalty in the 73rd minute.

SIX THE HARD WAY

The round belonged to former champions Granville who hit six past the hapless, relegated Reggae Youths in the lone Saturday game played at UDC.

Davian Thelwell and Romaine Reid each with a brace (4th and 73rd) (22nd and 36th) respectively; Corey Matthews and an own-goal, proved enough for the late-blooming Granville team, almost certain to miss out on qualification to the knockout phase.

Granville, who held a comfortable 3-0 lead at the halftime interval, dominated from start to finish and should have won by a wider margin, but, as has been customary this season, they have been wasteful in front of goal.

Oshane Thompson found the lone strike for the Reggae Youths team after 68 minutes.

Back End Staff & Customer Service

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Photo source: https://www.minico.com/blog/improve-employee-productivity/

Service Please!

Alex-Ann Green, MBA, MS

Back end staff is anyone who works at the establishment who does not come in direct contact with “the customer”. I had to put “the customer” in quotation since we generally think of the person purchasing from us as our only customer. We have another customer though – our coworkers. Our coworkers are the internal customer and the person purchasing from the company is the external customer.

Most times, we do not acknowledge our coworkers as customers and the treatment we give each other is less than wonderful. We move slowly to execute our tasks and our position is, “well she can wait” or “she will just have to wait”. We send each other to the next person for help because “I don’t have the time” or “I’m busy”. One of the hardest pills to swallow for front line staff is when they are doing their best to go above and beyond for the customer and there is nobody to turn to for help in a situation that the team could resolve if they pulled together.

 It is time for us to realize that front-line staff are not the only ones responsible for the external customer and they need the help of the back end staff in order for the business to win. This is true on two fronts. First, let us consider the work atmosphere and the demands of the job. Front-line staff should wow customers, be cheerful, kind and enthusiastic. I could go on and on with the positive adjectives. The back end staff play a role in making that possible. How are front-liners going to maintain a positive disposition when they have to fight with back end staff constantly to get things done?

That is a very draining situation. Imagine being frustrated and angry after the exchange. You feel like you are at your wits end. You have tried all your options and are left to stand alone. You now have to go right back out to the customer and somehow gather yourself to exude positivity, try to think of another option or face the wrath of the customer when you try to deliver your best no.

Secondly, how are deadlines going to be met for the external customer? Business processes do not function effectively and efficiently when the team cannot align itself appropriately. Even though the back end staff do not converse with the external customers on a frequent basis, the work they do is integral to business function and ultimately meeting the customer’s needs.

It is not ok to subject the front-line staff to berating from the customer because the team could not pull it together as a whole to get the job done. Back end staff have to see they have a role to play. An important role to play.

At times, the issues for the front-line staff might be very personal. It may be an HR matter relating to time off, sick days, pay or the like that is taking an extended period to be resolved. It can be difficult to perform at the highest level in this situation. It would behoove all involved to consider these possibilities as well.

As usual, there are other factors to consider. The workload may just be too much for back end staff or the processes in place may be inadequate or even nonexistent. Those we will tackle another time. In the meantime, let us ensure all our customers enjoy great service – internal and external.

Talk Soon.

Alex-Ann Green is aCustomer Experience Strategist – SP!KE Consultancy

hello@getthespike.com| IG:spikeinc_| FB:SPIKE.Experience| Twitter: @SPKE14

Five firearms seized across the West

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The Taurus Millennium .45 pistol which was seized in Rose Heights, St. James.

Michael Nattoo – Staff Reporter

Hot on the heels of the seizure of four high-powered rifles in Salt Spring, St. James last week, the security forces are reporting the seizure of another five guns across the crime-plagued Western Jamaica.

In a renewed drive to ‘get the guns’, lawmen conducted targeted operations across various sections of the West, which led to the seizure of a Beretta 9mm pistol, a .38 Revolver, a Smith and Wesson .44 Magnum Revolver, a Desert Eagle pistol and a Taurus Millennium .45 pistol. In all five seizures, the lawmen also confiscated varying quantities of ammunition.

Around 5 a.m. on Saturday, the police were alerted to an incident at a night club in Kings Valley, Grange Hill, where a man was arrested and charged for illegal possession of firearm and ammunition. Details are that the man was reportedly discharging his firearm in the air, shortly after which the lawmen arrived on the scene. He was accosted and searched, and the Desert Eagle pistol, containing three .40 cartridges, were taken from his rear pants pocket.

In the second seizure recorded on Saturday, Rose Heights, St. James, in an area known as Beirut, accounted for the recovery of the Taurus Millennium .45 pistol, with a magazine containing 10 rounds. In that planned operation, the lawmen went to premises in the above-mentioned community, where a dwelling was searched and the firearm recovered. In addition, the lawmen also found one 9mm cartridge and fifteen 12-gauge cartridges. Three men and a female were taken into custody following that find.

While that operation took place, another coordinated joint police/military effort was underway in Ricketts Street, Westmoreland, where lawmen searched and found in an abandoned building the Beretta 9mm pistol, which contained eleven rounds of ammunition. No one was arrested in connection with that find.

MONDAY’S SEIZURES

The push to recover illegal firearms continued well beyond the weekend – an effort which yielded the recovery of the remaining firearms collected up to Monday.

In Wait-A-Bit, Trelawny, an operation conducted around 4:30 p.m. led to the recovery of the .38 Revolver in Gravel Lane in the area. No arrests were made in connection with that find.

Westmoreland accounted for the seizure of the Smith and Wesson .44 Magnum Revolver. In that incident, carried out sometime around 4:45 p.m., an operation involving the raid of an abandoned house in Good Hope, Negril, saw the lawmen recovering the firearm, which contained two .44 cartridges.

The lawmen continue their push to recover illegal firearms, which have been the choice weapon for murderers wreaking havoc across the West.

Mystery death

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Anique Daley

• Police seek two in hairdresser’s demise

Barrington Flemming – Staff Reporter

With murders seemingly spiraling out of control in Westmoreland, crime sleuths in that parish are seeking two men whom they believe can assist them in their investigation of the mysterious death of 24-year-old hairdresser, Anique Daley of Old Road, Whithorn, on Sunday.

Daley’s body was seen lying along the roadway about 6 a.m. on Sunday after she left the previous afternoon to have dinner with a friend. Her body, parts of which were bandaged, had numerous bruises and missing teeth.

Kirk Ricketts, Commanding Officer for the Westmoreland Division, told the Western Mirror that while they have interviewed a number of persons and preliminary investigations are progressing smoothly the police are awaiting a post mortem examination to determine the cause of Daley’s death.

“We are interested in having discussions with two individuals we have identified, who might have been around her throughout the course of the evening. So, investigators are now seeking to locate these individuals to have this very important discussion,” Ricketts explained.

Superintendent Rickets further explained that investigations so far revealed that Daley left home on Saturday to attend to a personal engagement in Negril.

“We now know that sometime after that, she went to the Savanna-la-Mar General Public Hospital where she presented with blunt force trauma type injuries. She was examined by a doctor and we understand that she was somewhat reticent, not wanting to reveal how she received the injuries. She said, however, that the injuries were as a result of a motor vehicle collision,” Superintendent Ricketts said.

The police understand that she left the hospital about 2:45 the following morning and her body was found in the front of her yard at about 6 a.m. by relatives.

Superintendent Ricketts says the police will leave no stones unturned to get to the bottom of what led to death of Miss Daley.

BUSINESSMAN KILLED

However, Daley’s death is but one of two homicides in the parish on that day, the other being that of 41-year-old businessman Lujuane Bruce otherwise called ‘Teto’ of Sheffield.

Reports indicate that Bruce drove his Mercedes Benz SUV to a section of the Nonpareil Road, Negril at about 1:30p.m., when residents reported hearing explosions.

The police were summoned on the arrival of the lawmen, they saw Bruce slumped over the steering wheel of his vehicle with what appeared to be gunshot wounds to the upper body.

He was later transported to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

 STUDENT TOO

The deaths of Daley and Bruce follow hot on the heels of Thursday’s murder of 18-year-old Green Island High student, Kehian Pryce, of West End, Negril, who was shot and killed by unknown assailants.

Reports are that about 8:20 p.m. Pryce was seated in a yard under a tree with a male friend when two men rode up on a motorcycle.

The pillion alighted from the motorcycle and brandished a gun and opened fire, hitting Pryce multiple times in the upper body. Pryce ran off and collapsed.

The man then escaped on the awaiting motorcycle.

Catherine Hall erupts

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Tony Barrett

Michael Nattoo – Staff Reporter

On Monday morning, the middle-class community of Catherine Hall in St. James was a mixture of clouds of smoke, burning debris across the roadways, and angry residents, all in protest of Saturday’s fatal shooting of 22-year-old Tony Barrett, who was downed in an alleged confrontation with the police.

Under the watch of members of the security forces, firefighters go about the business of clearing debris from a section of the roadway in Catherine Hall following the mass protests.

According to the police, Barrett was shot around 2:35 p.m., after he reportedly challenged the lawmen who were on duty in the area. A Browning single action 9mm pistol, loaded with a magazine containing two rounds of ammunition, was reportedly taken from the deceased Catherine Hall resident.

MOTHER IN SHAMBLES

“Tony was no gunman, and I’m not just saying that because he’s my son. He was really the most caring person I knew, and he would never challenge the police… in fact, Tony was afraid of the police. Sir, Tony never killed anybody,” shared Natalie, mother of the deceased man, who revealed to the Western Mirror that the death of her son has only left her with grief and frustration.

“Why are they tarnishing his character like this? I just don’t understand why they would be saying these things. I really don’t know,” the grieving mother said. “He was my first child, and I could depend on him for anything.”

Natalie, who is physically challenged as a result of a stroke she survived some years ago, explained that Barrett, on Saturday, was initially at home before tragedy struck. “He was at home downstairs playing games with a friend who had come to visit,” she shared, adding that playing video games was something the 22-year-old enjoyed doing very much. “His friend asked him to buy some rum, and when he went to the shop, his sister, who was doing his hair at the time, didn’t see him coming back.” While that was not uncommon, Natalie shared that her suspicions grew when a bad feeling suddenly overtook her. “I felt like I wanted to go to the bathroom, but I really didn’t… I just knew I felt really bad, and I could tell that something wasn’t right.” She further shared with the Western Mirror that not long after those feelings, Barrett’s sister, who had gone to look for him because he had disappeared for a suspiciously long time, came back crying, “Dem kill mi bredda, dem kill mi bredda!”

‘NO, TONY IS ALRIGHT’

The alarm raised by her daughter forced Natalie to come out on her verandah, where she called her daughter, who was crying uncontrollably, to come to her. “Wa happen? Stop the crying man, Tony isn’t dead, Tony is downstairs playing game, stop the crying man,” said Natalie, an attempt to console her daughter. She shared that she wasn’t in denial, and was honestly of the belief that her son had returned from the shop and was back to playing his video games.

As her daughter’s crying continued and her attempts to console her failing, Natalie’s worst fears were realized when she got a phone call. “They asked me if I knew where Tony was, and asked me if I was OK, and I said ‘yeah’, and after talking, I realized that it was true – Tony was dead,” she added.

Natalie said that she was informed that Tony had been carried off in a jeep, but, as she later learnt, that was after he had been shot.

“Right now, his sister is trying to cope and she’s taking it very hard. I can’t even say his name without crying. You have to understand, he was the one who was always checking on me. He always ensured that I was being taken care of. If anybody needed a helping hand, he was always there to help them. That’s why the community was so angry. Even people I didn’t think he was friends with, all came out and were protesting, and that’s because of the kind of person he was. He always spoke his mind, but he never held grudges, and was very forgiving.”

Firefighters put out the blaze from this section of the ignited roadblocks in Catherine Hall on Monday.

According to his mother, Tony had been recently married, and was away in the United States with his wife, before circumstances forced him to come back to Jamaica, where he continued to take care of her.

As far as run-ins with the law were considered, Natalie shared that Tony had never been to jail, and was only detained under the State of Emergency for a few hours, released the same day he was detained.

FATAL SHOOTINGS MOUNT

Barrett’s fatal shooting comes on the heels of that of Kayon Wellington and another man, who were reportedly shot in confrontation with the police in the community of Belmont. Wellington was, according to the police, leader of the Dean’s Lane Gang, and was also involved in the March 10 Jarrett Street shooting and double murder.

PERSONS OF INTEREST NABBED

In relation to the above-mentioned incident, the St. James police are reporting that two men – 26-year-old Demeir Brown, otherwise called ‘Bummie Squeeze’ and Dwayne Barnes, otherwise called ‘Tickerous’, were arrested in a raid in Chester Castle, Hanover, on Friday, March 15.

The men are believed to be the other accomplices in the much-publicized robbery/murder.

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