Teenager facing murder charge is a good boy, says dad

The father of the teen who is charged with murdering his six-year-old cousin is adamant that his son has never been a troublemaker.

"Him and dem (relatives) good, everybody did good suh mi nuh know. Him never yet in trouble wid the law, a di first him a go inna dem yah sinting yah," the father told THE STAR. "Mi feel upset over the entire incident, and mi really sorry that this tek place, especially to mi own cousin son, who a also fi him own cousin."

The 15-year-old was remanded when he appeared in the Westmoreland Family Court yesterday. His attorney, Henry McCurdy, told THE STAR that the case is set for July 23. McCurdy also said that he plans to push for manslaughter charges. The teen's father, who works on a farm away from the family home in Westmoreland, recalled the shock when he heard the news.

"Mi hear mi phone a ring and mi get a call seh if mi hear sey mi son shoot somebody round a yard," the father stated. "Mi seh 'no sah, him cah shoot nobody round a yard an a family yard'. And same time mi brother call mi and ask mi if mi hear an seh a mi nephew, an him gone a hospital. Mi seh it lick mi brain, mi start walk up an dung inna the rain, and a wonder how something like that happen." The father said that he and his son have a good relationship.

Illegal gun

"Him really live wid him mother in Hanover, but tru mi work pon di farm, him come dung a di house a week time fi him money," he said. The teen is charged with the murder of Jadaine Miller, who was shot on May 20. The teen turned himself over to police at the Freeport Police Station in Montego Bay, St James, two days later.

Reports are that shortly after 2:30 p.m. the teen and others were inside a yard on Dalling Street in Savanna-la-Mar, when he started to play with an illegal gun. It is further reported that the weapon went off and Jadaine was hit in the upper back. The teen then fled the scene, while Jadaine was rushed to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital by his uncle, where he was pronounced dead.