Battered schoolboys suspected of cabbie’s murder under police guard
Published:Tuesday | October 29, 2024 | 12:11 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
Two schoolboys – ages 15 and 17 – remain hospitalised at a Corporate Area medical facility after they were severely beaten and then handed over to the police by angry residents of Lawrence Tavern in St Andrew on Saturday, following their suspected involvement in the murder of a taxi driver.
Reports from the Constant Spring police are that 49 year-old taxi driver Verne Josephs, of a Manning’s Hill Road address, was driving a Toyota Probox motorcar when he was contracted by three gunmen posing as passengers. Upon reaching a section of the Essex Hall main road, about 7:15 p.m., the men reportedly shot Josephs several times.
The residents of Rose Hill in Lawrence Tavern were alerted to the incident after hearing the explosions. Upon making checks, they found the wounded Jospehs leaning over the left passenger side of the vehicle.
The two teenage suspects, who are reportedly from addresses in the district, were immediately held.
A third person, believed to be an accomplice of the captured teens, allegedly brandished a firearm at the angry crowd before making his escape.
Videos obtained by The Gleaner show the boys in significant distress on the roadway, surrounded by a large crowd. Other images depict them bloodied and tied with rope in the back of a police vehicle.
“Di youth dem nah hold no meds. A because dem so likkle bit why dem nuh dead,” one resident commented. “Di people dem deal with them bad, but you can’t sorry for children because a dem a do the crime dem too.”
Deputy Superintendent Randy Sweeney, head of the St Andrew North Police Division, confirmed that the teens remained in custody on Monday, adding that the police are looking for other persons who are believed to be involved in the murder.
Because of their status as minors, the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) has been notified of the incident.
Data from the Jamaica Constabulary Force reveals that, between 2019 and 2022, some 875 major crimes in Jamaica were committed by perpetrators ages 15 to 17. These included 256 breaches of the Firearms Act, 79 murders, 66 shootings, 175 rapes, 89 robberies, and 65 aggravated assaults.
Former Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson emphasised the need for community involvement in addressing youth violence, stating that while police initiatives like youth clubs are important, broader collaboration is essential to prevent violent tendencies in children.
In March of last year, the police reiterated their call for parents to monitor their children closely, as numerous cases involving teens facing serious charges, including rape and unlawful wounding, continued to emerge in the judicial system.
Meanwhile, the St Andrew North Police Division has seen a 17 per cent increase in murders in 2024.
As at October 26, there were 55 reported homicides, a difference of eight when compared to the 47 reports at the same time in 2023.
Reports of shootings have also climbed in the division, with 58 reports so far this year, six more than in 2023.
The national murder toll as at October 26 was 940 – a 19 per cent year-on-year decline.