The Tribune

Three weeks after purchase he was struck by a vehicle

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

JAMESLY Richmond’s mother and cousin begged him not to buy a motorbike, fearing it would put him in danger and jeopardise his safety.

On Saturday, three weeks after the former CI Gibson High School graduate defied their advice and bought a bike, he was reportedly struck by a vehicle, and his bike went missing from the scene.

He died on Tuesday in the Princess Margaret Hospital.

Although his relatives insist he was a robbery victim and suggest his death should be classified as murder or manslaughter, police have not released information about the incident, making details around the matter unclear.

His mother, Michelle Aime, said police have not contacted her.

However, on social media, scores of people called for justice and expressed sorrow at the death of a young man they said was hard-working and well-liked. Just one post on Facebook had over 1,000 likes, comments and shares.

Jamesly, 19, worked as a server at Sandals and part- time barber at Young Kings Cutz Barbershop on Robinson Road.

His death came nine years after his father, Jean Richmond, was shot and killed in Palm Cay during an argument with a contractor over outstanding payments.

His mother, Ms Aime, said her son’s motorbike became his primary means of transportation.

“When he come and tell me he going to buy a bike I say, Jamesly, do not buy the bike,” she said, adding that she was tempted to have someone remove the bike after he bought it.

“Jamesly is a hard-working young man, little man, who tries to get something for his own life, so they take away half of me,” she said.

Jamesly’s employer and cousin, Mark Baptise, 28, said Jamesly was like “everything to us in the barbershop.”

“Jamesly was the type of person that you don’t know but he knows you,” he said. “Sometimes, some of the customers that we have in here, I might not know my customer names, but guess who knows that customer’s name? Jamesly would know that customer’s name.”

“Sometimes I wonder to myself if those guys that had killed him to take that bike, if they had a chance to meet Jamesly they would not have done what they did if they knew who he was.”

Mr Baptise blames himself for his cousin’s death, insisting he should have done more to prevent him from buying the bike.

“I was saying to him do not get the bike, but then there were some guys in here who were saying that he had to feel it,” he said. “I didn’t feel as if I tried hard enough to not make him get that bike, but he ended up getting the bike so everything that happened to him was not just his fault, it was my fault and it was the guys that actually killed him fault.”

A co-worker, Jacuqes Israel, said he wants answers, adding: “How did you sleep at night, bey? How you went home and wake up, laughing like everything cool, bey?”