‘The entire family distraught right now’ - Sales rep’s relatives fighting to come to terms with gruesome killing

Hearts are now slowly mending for a close-knit St Catherine family still rocked by last Sunday's gruesome killing of Brian Blackwood, whose head was dismembered during a daring attack outside of his gate in Mount Concord, Glengoffe.

"It is a very difficult moment for us right now. The entire family is so distraught right now. Our mother has been sitting in one position since Sunday playing puzzle because of what happened," said one of Blackwood's 16 siblings, who wished not to be named.

The 51-year-old, otherwise called 'Bigga', was described as a family person who was very jovial and humble.

"Him always smiling and him love him family. Him will go to the ends of the world for his family. He is very humble and him no trouble people. He was very respectful to everybody. He was an excellent cook as well, him love to cook. Whenever we had any family function as well, he was the one always in the kitchen," the grief-stricken sibling said.

Blackwood, who worked as a sales representative at an auto parts store in Kingston, was just beginning to patch up a broken relationship with his only son, who is the eldest of his three children.

"They had a rough patch and they were just getting back closer. He was just realising what his father wanted from him because my brother showed him a lot of tough love. He was supposed to stay with him this weekend, enuh, but I guess everything happens for a reason.

"The children didn't grow with him but he was like a defender for them. He loved his children and he was a provider for them," said the sibling.

The police are appealing to the public for help, according to commander of the St Catherine North Police Division, Senior Superintendent Howard Chambers.

"We are still piecing the puzzle and searching for suspects as it relates to that. We are asking the community members to support the police in solving this one soonest. We have heard a number of theories but are not clear as to the motive right now," Chambers told THE WEEKEND STAR on Thursday.

The sibling said that it is rumoured Blackwood was killed following an alleged dispute with two men.

"I am getting to understand say him and di bwoy dem kick off di night before. I don't know what happened, all I know is that he was ambushed right outside his gate, one behind a tree and the other behind a post. The first chop dem give him was from behind," the sibling said.

"A work him a come from. As a matter of fact every Sunday evening when him left work him normally go up a him mother to collect him Sunday dinner a Temple Hall. From him go home, him put down him plate and bag and come back out fi buy something," the person added.

According to the relative, one of Blackwood's favourite pastimes in recent years was to spend time with his twin grandsons.

"That was his dream, every week he ensures to give their mother something. That was all he did, talk about them and look after them. A three weeks ago me see him, enuh. He was just coming and I was leaving. Mi say, 'bredda yah come when mi leave man' and him say 'ye man'. Mi hug him up and him hug me back and me tell him me love him and him tell me back," the sibling said.