Obeah threats go to court

A senior parish court judge quipped that she could earn substantial sums if she decides to sell green lime and blue at the courthouse.

Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque made the light-hearted comment on Tuesday after a prosecutor revealed that the complainant in a case has been threatened with obeah.

"We hear a lot of that these days," remarked Cole-Montaque. "People come to the court and fraid fi even touch money. Wah amount of money me would make if me fi sell lime and blue at the courthouse," the senior jurist quipped.

In Jamaican folklore, lime and blue are regarded as popular items that are used to ward off evil spirits.

On Tuesday, the case before Cole-Montaque had nothing to do with obeah, but it related to the dead. The complainant in the matter is seeking a full refund from Keron Watson, a Corporate Area man who allegedly pretended to be a funeral service director and collected almost $400,000 from her to undertake her father's burial.

The court heard that Watson was paid $381,000 to prepare funeral proceedings for her father who died on July 27. The burial was scheduled on September 2. However, Watson did not make payments for the burial plot so the funeral was postponed.

It is further alleged that when the complainant contacted Watson, seeking to be refunded, he reportedly threatened and intimidated her.

"He told the complainant that he was going to obeah her and cause her to lose her job," the prosecutor said.

Watson was offered $350,000 bail with at least two sureties. He was ordered to have no contact or communication with the complainant and is to surrender his travel documents. A stop order was imposed and he was made the subject of a fingerprint order.