A seething gang feud in the Mount Carey area of St. James spilled over into the holiday season, claiming the lives of three men between Friday and Sunday, shattering the Christmas cheer.
The deceased have been identified as 42-year-old Wayne Wynter, also known as ‘Blacks’ of Piggott Street, Mount Salem; 30-year-old tiler; Theophilous McPherson, otherwise known as ‘Tingo’ of Top Hill in Mt. Carey, and 23-year-old Oshino Cameron also called ‘Gunja’ of Ryland Hill, also in Mount Carey.
The police report that about 6 a.m. on Friday, McPherson left his house and shortly after residents reported hearing explosions and summoned them. On their arrival the area was searched and the headless body of McPherson was discovered with gunshot wounds along the Top Hill playing field.
The scene was processed and the body removed to the morgue. Up to press time, the head was still not found.
In an apparent case of reprisal over McPherson’s death, gunmen went on a rampage into the wee hours of Saturday, December 23, snuffing out the life of Cameron in the Ryland Hill area of Mount Carey.
Reports from the Anchovy Police are that about 1:30 a.m., Cameron was allegedly speaking on his mobile phone when armed men kicked in his door and opened gunfire at him.
The Police were summoned and on their arrival, Cameron was seen with gunshot wounds to his upper body. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Less than 24 hours later, tempers proved not to be cooled as the police were again called into action as reports indicate that about 12:10 p.m. on Sunday, Christmas Eve, Wynter, who reportedly went to visit family members, was about to drive his car from Top Hill, Mount Carey, heading towards Montego Bay, when the car was intercepted by a group of men armed with guns – who opened fire at the vehicle, hitting Wynter and his young son who was a passenger.
The police were summoned and on their arrival, they found the badly shot up vehicle with Wynter slumped over the steering wheel, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was subsequently pronounced dead at hospital.
The boy, who was also hit, managed to exit the vehicle and went to a nearby shop where he requested help from a cane vendor and received assistance from a woman who took him to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where he underwent immediate emergency surgery which reportedly lasted for up to eight hours. Unconfirmed reports are that Wynter and a relative of his were both fingered by factions of a gang as being responsible for McPherson’s death, which indications are could be a factor in Wynter’s death.
The police also seized an illegal 9mm pistol in Wynter’s vehicle.
Two men were murdered in broad daylight along the busy Howard Cooke Boulevard in Montego Bay, St. James yesterday, Thursday, December 28, 2017.
They have been identified as 42-year-old Kerry Orville Fairclough, otherwise called ‘Biggs’ of Ranch Road, Westgreen, and 41-year-old Aaron Taylor, also called ‘Carlo’ of Coral Gardens, both in St. James.
Crime scene detectives examine the Toyota Caldina in which both men were travelling when they were ambushed and killed along the Howard Cooke Boulevard on Thursday.
Information reaching the Western Mirror indicates that about 12:10 p.m., Fairclough and Taylor were travelling in a black Toyota Caldina along the highway when they stopped at a filter lane, intent on turning into the Catherine Hall community.
A silver Nissan Tiida reportedly pulled up beside their vehicle and men from the car armed with guns alighted and opened fire, hitting both men.
Taylor, who was the driver of the vehicle, ran from the vehicle and collapsed and died on the roadway, while Fairclough’s body was found inside the car.
Police investigators are yet to come up with a motive for the deadly attack, which caused a major traffic pile-up in the city for most of the day. The police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 119 or any police station.
This past Sunday, I stood in the midst of the crowd gathered in Sam Sharpe Square at the Municipal Tree Lighting Ceremony and watched my people come together, some holding hands, and prayed, declaring the very spot we were standing on, as holy grounds. I was heartened by this, but somehow, I felt a bit numb – and empty. Last year, not too far from Sam Sharpe Square, my only son was gunned down in MoBay. As a mother who was told she wouldn’t have been able to have kids, he proved to be my only miracle, and just like that, I lost him to some of the cowards now plaguing this parish, in full view of his countrymen. He was being robbed, I was told, but no one tried to help him when he resisted. And as I stood in Sam Sharpe Square on Sunday, I wondered: was there not one of these praying and passionate people around when he was fighting for his life?
I’ve seen it on the news many times before, but not once did I imagine that with so many faithful people around, that such a fate would befall my only son. I am not a bitter mother. I am merely concerned, or perhaps worried would be the more appropriate word, that majority of the faithful people in MoBay would rather pray for the life of one of their brethren, than to offer a helping hand. It seems that we have all become content in our faith that we have forgotten to extend simple, humane courtesies to people around us. We have faith in God, but no faith in our humanity. It seems that we have forgotten that faith without works is, literally, dead.
It’s almost Christmas again, and while many are preparing to spend time with their loved ones, there are many other Jamaicans just like me who won’t have that luxury. St. James has already surpassed its mark for murders around the same period last year. If I’m not mistaken, I believe we are already beyond the 320-mark. Beyond our government, what does that say about us? As crime continues to rage on down here, we are seeing that there isn’t much that can be done unless we commit wholeheartedly to changing things. I am happy that we are a praying people, but I wish we were more than that. Men in the days of Jesus were warriors. Have we outgrown our brave heritage?
MOVING FORWARD
There isn’t one day that goes by that I don’t question what would have happened if even one person stepped up to help my son. Maybe we would have been preparing to have a happy Christmas right now. But also, maybe some other mother would be suffering this heartache I now am that I wouldn’t wish on anyone else. I know dwelling on the past won’t bring him back, which is why I’ve chosen to focus on what we can do moving forward. I refuse to believe that praying is ALL we can do to help each other. We are all suffering, whether we know it or not, so is there not something we can do to help each other through these tumultuous times?
I am a firm believer in God, but I still am a firm believer in people – my people, from the Republic of Montego Bay! I wish I had what it took to start the revolution, but I’m all cried out. All I have left right now, ironically, are my prayers, and the words contained within this letter. In some ways, this is my letter to you, the people of the West. I know it is too much to be asking of you to risk your lives and the happiness of your families for the sake of a stranger, but I’m asking you to recognize that we are not so much strangers, but distant relatives. We bleed the same blood. And when my son died, I cried the same tears you sometimes do.
So, from a mother without the love of her son, if you’ll give me this one Christmas wish – remember your humanity, and love fearlessly, and I promise you that things will change. I didn’t find what I showed up in Sam Sharpe Square among the prayer warriors to find, but leaving there with hope that there are still good people among us was just enough for me.
Two cops were freed of corruption charges when they appeared in the St. James Parish Court last Thursday, December 14, 2017. This comes almost four years after the officers were slapped with the charges.
The cops, Detective Molcary Robinson and District Constable Clevon Heavens, had consistently maintained that they were innocent throughout the trial.
It had initially been reported that in 2014, that the two cops went to a man’s house in the Rose Heights area of St. James and ransacked it. It was further reported that a sum of money was found along with equipment used to make movies.
Reports further stated that the occupant was taken into custody under the Copyright Act, but he was later released. It was also reported by the police that the sum of money in question was not returned.
A report was made to the Anti-Corruption Branch and a subsequent investigation launched. The two were later arrested following a ruling from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
In handing down her ruling in the matter, Judge Natalee Hart-Hines questioned the veracity of the case. Indicating that certain details did not add up, she ruled not guilty.
Detective Robinson, who was represented by Attorney-at-Law Martyn Thomas, and District Constable Heavens, who was represented by Council Adrian Dayes, were happy with the outcome.
Reacting to the ruling, Detective Robinson said: “I feel free. Watching the justice system from the other side of the fence made me realize that careful and proper investigation is needed and that as investigators, we must be confident in our actions when a report is made agaist an individual. I am grateful to Almighty God, my family and church community.”
In his reaction, District Constable Clevon Heavens said: “I’m glad it wasn’t a no case submission and happy to know that the truth has now been borne out and I am free to go get on with my life.”
Both policemen are now awaiting the completion of administrative procedures to be reinstated.
“We go be alright man, God will help us, we go be alright!” Pauline Fletcher Dellis recalls saying those words aloud, but remembers instantly doubting them when her 8-year-old son, with fear in his eyes, asked her: “Mommy, we going to die now, right? We going to die now.” Dellis wanted to reassure him that they would survive, but being trapped in that little shop on Union Street, with a crying 4-month-old baby, the baby’s terrified young mother, and three children, including hers, she couldn’t.
The floodwaters were almost up to her neck, and on November 22, 2017 – the day the devastating flood ravaged Montego Bay, Dellis was sure that that tyre shop would become their watery tomb.
For Dellis, the light rains she witnessed earlier would not dampen her daily routine. She would leave work from her job as a Janitor, like any other day, pick up her son from school, and head straight home. When she left work that day though, she realized things would be different.
“When I left work, sometime after 5 and reached on Union Street, the rain was falling harder, and the water was steadily rising,” Dellis told the Western Mirror, “it was almost up to my knees.” Worried about the safety of her son, Dellis kept walking, but soon saw something that brought her much relief. “I saw someone holding my son’s hand, because I recognized his raincoat, and they were heading into the shop (Union Street Auto Parts).” One of Dellis’ friends, whom she identifies as Jessica, had already made the trip to pick up her son for her and was headed into the shop to seek shelter from the heavy rains. Dellis joined them in the shop, where two other kids were seen waiting out the rains.
“Jessica, look deh,” Dellis remembers saying, pointing to the floodwaters that seemed to have suddenly risen. The road was by then completely covered, and the water had reached the midway point of the glass windows. “Jessica, we can’t stay here so enuh, look deh!” Dellis says again, but Jessica rebutted that if they even tried to open the door, all six of them would certainly die. Dellis knew their best chance of survival was to stay in that shop, and so she did. As much as they made the choice to stay, Dellis realized that equally, they were trapped in there.
‘WE GO DROWN!’
“Before mi know it, the place was rapidly flooding,” Dellis recalls to the Western Mirror, “so Jessica and I took the children and put them on the counter.” Dellis explained that it wasn’t until she heard a loud ‘crack’ that she realized just how serious it was. “The water broke the bottom glass and started rushing in, rapidly filling the place up, so I took the baby from Jessica, and told her to go over the counter where the kids were. When she did, I gave her back the baby, and climbed over the counter too.” That proved to be a temporary relief, as the water quickly rose to the level of the counter, forcing Jessica to hold her baby above her head, and the other kids had to stand so as not to allow the water to cover them. “Ms. Pauline! Ms. Pauline! We go drown! We go drown Ms. Pauline! Nobody nah go help we!” Dellis remembers Jessica screaming. “No Jessica, God go help we, we go alright Jessica!” Dellis says, trying to keep her calm. “Ow mommy! Something a shock me!” Dellis’ son said, turning her focus to him. Jessica explained that the computers in the store were shorting out, which must be causing the shocking. “Because of that, I had to lift my son and put him on my hip” Dellis explained, at which point she remembers her son asking her: “Mommy, we going to die, right? We going to die now.” Hearing those words from her son, Dellis said she broke, and started crying too, feeling powerless in the grips of what she felt was sure death. By that point, the water was up to her breasts, and the kids, who were all screaming at that point, were almost submerged. “Yes, we go dead now,” Dellis said, pulling her son closer to her.
SAVIOURS
At that moment, another loud, crashing sound was heard, signaling yet another section of the glass being broken. But this time, it wasn’t the water. It was a man who had swam up to the windows, wrapped his fist in a shirt, and punched the window, peering through to see if anyone was in the shop. He saw them. “We couldn’t hear all that he was saying because the water was so loud, but we heard when he said, ‘dem in ya!’” Dellis said. Another man was immediately seen swimming across the road, who came up to the window and offered to help them.
“One by one they pulled us out, taking out the baby first and handing him to someone on the roof,” Dellis explained. In one instance, one of the children, while being pulled out, was sinking, and Dellis had to grab the electrical panel for support, which repeatedly shocked her, and grabbed the little girl by her hair and pulled her back up from under the water, at which point the heroes who came to help pulled her out.
Though they got into difficulties when they were being pulled out by the men – one a fruit vendor named Javaughn and the other identified as ‘Rasta’, both Jessica and Dellis made it out alive, with Dellis suffering lacerations all over her body. She got over 25 stitches in that incident.
“Those men, who were completely strangers, saved us, and we are so grateful to them, and want to thank them,” Dellis said, grateful that all of them faced the jaws of death, and lived to tell the tale. “There are still some good people in MoBay,” Dellis concluded.
A frame from the popular video which captured the moment of the rescue of the 4-month-old
One of Westmoreland’s Most Wanted has been captured.
In police custody is 24-year-old, Davian Brown, otherwise called ‘Balti’.
Brown was captured shortly after 4 p.m. on Friday, December 15, 2017, during a police operation in a section of Grange Hill, Westmoreland.
He was reportedly held in possession of an illegal weapon.
Brown is said to be wanted for several shootings and murders committed in the parish of Westmoreland.
His most daring kill was reportedly that of a man in a supermarket in Sav-la-Mar, which was captured on camera.
Police say Brown is also linked to the fatal shooting of a man in the town centre last month.
The Westmoreland police are still to ascertain the identities of two men who were shot and killed during a confrontation with a licensed firearm holder at the Earth and Ocean Supermarket on Sunday.
Information gleaned by the Western Mirror indicates that about 1 p.m. on Sunday men armed with handguns entered the supermarket where they assaulted and robbed workers and customers. A businessman was also robbed of a black pouch containing cash and a cellular phone.
A licensed firearm holder who was at the scene confronted the men and opened gunfire at them. The men ran from the scene.
The police were summoned and one of the men was subsequently found along Dalling Street suffering from gunshot wounds. The other man was later found at Crook Street also suffering from gunshot wounds.
Both men were later taken to hospital where they were pronounced dead. One 9 millimetre Caliber pistol and one round of ammunition the black pouch with the cash and cellular phone were recovered.
This Christmas will not be a festive one for at least two St. James families, whose loved ones were murdered hours apart.
Dead are 21-year-old Donte Ricketts of Westgate Hills and 23-year-old Ricoy Smith, also known as ‘Bigga’ of Tenement, which is located along the Salt Spring main road in the vicinity of the clinic.
The men were killed hours apart as gunmen continued their rampage throughout the murder-stained parish, inching the tally of victims up to the 320-mark with less than two weeks remaining in the calendar year.
Ricketts, who celebrated his birthday just hours before (December 17), was gunned down in the middle class community of Irwin Meadows in the wee hours of Monday morning.
According to police reports, just about 2 a.m., Ricketts arrived at a house in the Irwin community, where he had reportedly gone to drop off his girlfriend when armed thugs ambushed him and opened fire.
He was struck several times to the head and chest.
His bullet-riddled body was found slumped over the steering wheel of the black Toyota Allion he was driving.
Unconfirmed reports are that more than 30 spent shells were found at the scene.
In the meantime, the seemingly never-ending gang feud causing unease in Salt Spring again escalated on Tuesday morning, leaving a man dead and three others wounded.
In that case, Smith was shot and killed by unknown assailants.
Information reaching the Western Mirror is that Smith was among four persons sitting at a shop in Tenement when the incident took place.
According to reports from the Montego Hills police, just about 8:28 on Monday morning, Smith and the three were at the shop adjacent to the community clinic when they were pounced upon by armed men travelling in a motorcar.
The men opened fire at the group, hitting four.
Smith died at the scene while the others were taken to hospital where they were admitted in serious but stable condition.
CRH CRUMBLING: Dr. Dayton Campbell, Shadow Minister on Health, has the rapt attention of the audience at the People’s National Party’s Town Hall Discussion held on Thursday at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre, to speak to the National Identification System (NIDS), crime as well as health issues and the Cornwall Regional Hospital. He spoke specifically to his portfolio of Health and the Cornwall Regional Hospital, citing that the condition at the multi-disciplinary facility was worsening and called on Health Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, to seriously address the conditions at the Western Region’s chief health facility. Barrington Flemming Photos
Barrington Flemming Staff Reporter
Dr. Dayton Campbell, Opposition Spokesman on Health, is raking Health Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, over the coals for what he says is the worsening condition of the Cornwall Regional Hospital, citing that the Minister is using a public relations campaign to cover up the situation.
“As it relates to the Cornwall Regional, public relations have been allowed to take the place of hard work,” he said.
Dr. Campbell, who was speaking at a People’s National Party Town Hall Discussion at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre on Thursday evening, says while healthcare delivery at the Cornwall Regional Hospital is rapidly falling apart, Minister Tufton is busy operating like the owner of a gym, leaving the pertinent issues behind (a reference to the Jamaica Moves campaign).
He says the issue, which forced the scaling down and outsourcing of services, still persists as in recent times, doctors and nurses and other workers are still fainting from fumes at the hospital.
“When you go to the Cornwall Regional, there are a number of issues. There is an increased waiting time coupled with a lack of adequate bed space. People go the facility, they are admitted and are seated on chairs with drips in their hands, while some are treated on the floor and some are doing this for days. So it is acceptable for a Minister of Health to operate as if he is the proprietor of a local gym. He also needs to take a run to the healthcare facilities and implement measures to improve service delivery so that persons who are coming to these facilities can do so in a decent way,” Dr. Campbell points out.
He said there is a major issue with the X-ray machine and CT- Scan machines as they are not working to full capacity – which means that every patient who requires an x-ray or CT scan have to be sent to a private facility, which attracts a major cost to the individual”, Dr. Campbell explained.
NO INTENSIVE CARE UNIT
The Shadow Minister on Health said the situation is made worse as the hospital is operating without an Intensive Care Unit, citing that patients have to be sent to the Falmouth Hospital.
A section of the crowd at last week’s Town Hall meeting
He further argued that the Noel Homes Hospital in Lucea and the Savanna-la -Mar Hospital in Westmoreland are now overburdened with the limited supplies that they have.
“As it relates to the support given to the other hospitals in the region, you cannot downgrade the service at the main facility (CRH) and refer the patient to Falmouth or Noel Holmes without bolstering the healthcare at those facilities, so the additional volume of patients will put pressure on these smaller hospitals. The CRH is a Type A Hospital and Falmouth is a type C, so it is not equipped or have the capacity to deliver the same type of care as would the main facility,” explained Dr. Campbell.
He cited the death of six neonates (neonate – newborn child) from bacterial infections at the hospital recently, indicative that the current administration has not learnt from the past, when a similar situation occurred.
“What I expect is that if we had gone through problems before, we would have learnt from those experiences and put certain policy measures in place to prevent neonates dying from infections that are contracted within the neonatal intensive care unit, and it must become a priority as we go forward.”
He said there continues to be a deafening silence from the Health Minister and the government when questioned as to when normality would return to the Cornwall Regional Hospital.
With promises to thrill, Wheels of Speed, stunt bikers and the eccentric teenage driving sensation, Nicholas Barnes, will be on show as the inaugural Team Tazz ‘Speed Invade Lucea’ event takes over the normally quiet parish this Sunday.
With young Barnes at the helm of production and organization, the much-anticipated event, the first of its kind to be staged in Lucea, is down to run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Grant’s Plaza.
Nicholas Barnes
The drifting showpiece will put on display top class drifting drivers, some from as far as Mandeville.
Barnes, the youngest Dover Champion, will be the main attraction and leads the MoBay drivers.
With Speed to kill, some of the country’s most recognized drivers have been penciled for the show.
The likes of Ian Wright, Steven Singh and Owen Wong-Ken are down to take to the track, while the Rush Riders from MoBay, with Buju, Bling and the crew, will also take centre stage.
The RC Cars will also be performing with DJ Kentucky spinning the music by Big and Black Mobile.
Admission is $500, children under-12, $300.
The expected exciting event is sponsored by Bay Waata, Popsicle, Tyre Warehouse, Steven’s Pharmacy, Delta 16 Security Force, Xclusive Auto, Gold Linauto, Endless Lightings, Fraser Rubis service Station Lucea and L and E enterprise Lucea.
