Black Immigrant Daily News
Too many Barbadian homes are experiencing a breakdown in family values, asserts Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes.
The chief magistrate raised alarm about familial relationships as he presided over the case of 24-year-old Shakeem Ryan Dawson of Branchbury, St Joseph.
Dawson was charged with threatening his aunt on January 16, 2022.
Prosecutor Sergeant Randolph Boyce stated that the 24-year-old entered the pharmacy where his aunt worked and said “Fill that ’cause people like you have me sick.”
She ignored him and proceeded to walk outside to call his mother. When she returned to the store, Dawson told her, “I am going to kill you. Wunna in this pharmacy would tek killing.”
Dawson’s defence attorney, Sade Harris appealed to the court, indicating that the comments were said in “the heat of the moment”. She appealed for bail as the accused and the complainant do not reside in the same household. The Magistrate rejected Harris’ motion.
Chief Magistrate Weekes contended that Barbados was going on a wayward path.
“We have gone the wrong road in this country. We have. That is your flesh and blood. He didn’t have any dispute with one of the workers in the Debushing Programme and people head was hot – that is his flesh and blood. That is his aunt that he threatened to kill,” Weekes emphasised.
He noted too many young people responded in anger by cursing or threatening the lives of others.
“We have too many of these young people…their first line of behaviour is to curse or threaten somebody. But again, you have to look at the homes. There are people who behave this way because that is the normal behaviour in the homes of their family. There are homes where people express their anger in a civilised way and there are also homes where people will apply discipline from the time they were a baby.
“There is too much negotiation in homes in Barbados. Children get too much choice, they get to choose whether they go church or not – Absolutely ridiculous!”
Chief Magistrate Weekes held that Dawson needed some time to “sit and process” his actions.
The 24-year-old was remanded to Dodds Prison until February 22.
NewsAmericasNow.com
