Brave MoBay woman shot dead by robber

Western Bureau:

Shaken by the recent murder of a member of their community, residents of the Cornwall Courts Housing Scheme in Montego Bay, St James, are calling on the National Housing Trust (NHT) to erect a wall in an open section of the community to cut off access to unwelcome outsiders.

Last Saturday morning, a resident identified as 56-year-old Sydele ‘Sibble’ Malcolm, of St Lucia Crescent in the community, was shot and killed by armed robbers who broke into her home in a home invasion style robbery.

Reports by investigators from the Montego Hills Police Station are that, at about 3:15 a.m., Malcolm and other family members were asleep at their home when they were awoken by strange sounds coming from a section of the house.

The occupants went to investigate and came face to face with a group of armed men who had broken into the house, and were removing items from the premises. Malcolm got involved in a tussle with one of the robbers, inflicting multiple stab wounds in him.

The wounded gunman opened fire on Malcolm, hitting her multiple times to her upper body. The robbers subsequently fled the house. Malcolm was rushed to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Shortly after Malcolm was rushed to the hospital, a man believed to be her attacker showed up at the hospital with multiple stab wounds and when questioned, it was discovered that he is from the volatile Buck Toe Lane, in Salt Spring, which is located to the back of Cornwall Courts. He was admitted under police guard.

In responding to the incident, Floyd Hitchman, president of the Cornwall Courts Citizen Association, told The Gleaner that a wall is badly needed to separate Salt Spring from Cornwall Courts, among other security measures.

“Even before the construction of that section of the housing scheme several robberies had being taken place, so that particular area had always been a prime target for robbers,” said Hitchman.