Source: Jamaica Observer
Kevon Martin, 33, of Spanish Town Road in Kingston, was arrested and charged last November for the stabbing death of 59-year-old Steve Lindo at his (Lindo) home on Eastburn Road, Kingston 2.
The accused, who is charged for murder, was offered bail by Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey, despite objection from the prosecution on the grounds that Martin had no permanent address.
But the magistrate, after looking at the statement, said that based on the Crown's case, Martin was acting in self-defence.
However, before Martin was offered bail, he was abandoned by attorney Linton Walters who was assisting him, after he insisted that he wanted to speak directly to the judge.Martin, despite being instructed that he should let his lawyer speak for him, told the judge that the lawyer told him that the police could not find anyone who knew him from the address he gave them and that could not be true.
According to the accused, he was coming from the bathroom when Lindo held onto him saying that he must have sex with him. In the ensuing scuffle, he stabbed the deceased.
According to police reports on November 7, 2010, the accused went to visit Lindo at his home and a dispute developed between them after Lindo reportedly made sexual advances towards Martin.
It is reported that a fight ensued in which Martin used a scissors to stab Lindo several times in his chest, back and neck.
Following the incident, Lindo, who was found semi-nude and bleeding profusely, was rushed to the Kingston Public Hospital where he died while undergoing treatment. Martin later turned himself in at the Rockfort Police Station.
Martin, when he was being cautioned, reportedly told the police: "Officer me neva know him stay suh. A check me come check him cause him use to live on Spanish Town Road where me and mi girlfriend live."
Martin is to return to court on March 31.
ENDS
Note:
The Gay Panic Defense.
The Gay Panic defense was popularized in 1995 after Jonathan Schmitz, a guest on the American Jenny Jones talk show, murdered Scott Amedure, who confessed he had a crush on Schmitz during the show. Jonathan was not successful in the defense because there was no immediate response. This means Jonathan should have immediately murdered Scott to get off on the murder charges, instead he waited three days.
So as we continue to watch the trends out there another story implying gay panic defense as the reason to snuff out another human being's life is presented to us via the Jamaica Observer, this story is not known to many in the community so we have to rely on the word of the paper for now.
As the story reads the perpetrator apparently was forced to have sex by the deceased, one wonders what person in their right mind in today's caustic homo negative Jamaica would lure another man in their midst and be so daring to force them to have sex? worse yet in that section of Kingston which is surrounded by depressed communities, covert gangs and violence, you may have guessed by now that I don't believe the gay panic excuse unless further credible evidence can be brought to bear.
One whiff of someone being gay or making advances in such communities may lead to death or at best beatings except for those persons who are "born and grow" or native residents from birth who may be allowed some leverage to exist due to family, gangster or community connections. There are known or suspected persons in these depressed areas who survive but no outsider can come forward to accuse them of homosexuality in their own space that is a privilege left to the long term residing residents.
Sadly our advocacy structure hardly follow up on these cases as there are little resources for them and also bloggers like myself to unearth the real truth to the allegations. Let us try and watch this one carefully and make note.
Be safe out there
Peace and tolerance
H
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