The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 30-year-old man who claimed he threatened to kill diplomat Sebastian Bastian and harm his business partner because their employees were harassing him was yesterday remanded to prison pending an evaluation.

Police arrested Kenson Knowles after he posted videos onto his social media page threatening to kill Mr Bastian, who serves as the non-resident High Commissioner Designate to South Africa, on July 16.

Police said the accused also threatened to harm Adrian Fox on July 14.

He admitted the offences when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis.

The court was told that Mr Bastian had told police a friend of his forwarded two voice notes to him concerning himself, his daughter and Mr Fox. He said he also saw the recordings posted on Knowles’ social media past. The court was told that Mr Bastian was familiar with the accused because he had published derogatory comments about him in the past stating: “Anywhere I see him I will take him ...This world and his money will not save him... Sebas is the devil.” The prosecution said Knowles also said in one of the recordings that Mr Bastian was lucky he had girls but should have had a son. The court was told Mr Fox also filed a complaint after he had received threats by Knowles saying he was giving him and Mr Bastian an opportunity to do the right thing before he came for them. Mr Fox also told police he saw several videos of the accused talking about him posted onto his social media page.

After owning up to the offences, Knowles told the magistrate he never intended for the videos he made to go viral. Instead, he claimed he only recorded them because people who worked for Mr Bastian had “wronged” him. He also alleged that Mr Bastian’s employees were “occultists” who were “doing magic on him” after stalking and prank calling him for quite some time.

Knowles said he was exposing the things the employees were doing in the hopes that Mr Bastian would see it and do something about the situation. Nonetheless, he admitted he allowed his emotions to get the best of him and said he regretted what he had done.

After listening to his explanation, Magistrate Rolle Davis said he was going to remand Knowles to be evaluated and urged the accused to be cooperative with the professionals examining him.

The case was subsequently adjourned to August 30 for sentencing.

Knowles was taken into custody until that time.