Brevett laid to rest

THE death of Okine Brevett, son of Skatalites bass player Lloyd Brevett, stands amongst the "most startling experiences" of former Prime Minister PJ Patterson.

"Hours before his death, he seemed well poised and his mannerism dignified him as a true gentleman. However, he was cut down in the prime of life by vicious criminals. Can there be no bond in our inner cities?" asked Patterson at yesterday's thanksgiving service for the young Brevett at the Andrews Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church on Hope Road in St Andrew.

Brevett, 32, was shot dead in his home community of Seaview Gardens on February 26, hours after collecting a Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) award on behalf of his father. The award was presented by Patterson himself.

Patterson, who once managed the Skatalites band, yesterday urged the congregation to unite to eradicate crime in order to restore due respect to life.

The former prime minister also urged musicians, DJs, journalists, and politicians to reaffirm their purposes and unite to rid the nation of such savage acts.

Anthony Hylton, chairman of Western St Andrew Constituency and minister of industry, investment and commerce, also hailed the deceased father of two as a model figure, who had the Seaview Gardens community in his best interests.

In a tribute to their son, which was in the programme, Lloyd and Ruth Brevett said that they never expected such a turn of events.

"We lost you as you were encouraged to take an award of my life's work as a Skatalites in your hands. Ever the son that held me, and represented me, with your strength as I faced with determination and will my life and destiny in this advance of time in this our world. Never did I expect that it would be I who would be asked to bear the sacrifice of you, my son, in a life that I have given so much."

The mood inside the church grew more sombre as the service came to an end. Okine's sister, Shanalee, along with his girlfriend Sasha Thomas and other family members, wailed as the pall-bearers carried the casket from the church to the hearse.

Musical tributes during the service were delivered by reggae singers Luciano and Althea Hewitt, while music consultant Maxine Stowe, wife of the late reggae singer Lincoln 'Sugar' Minott, spoke on the Skatalites' impact on Jamaican music.

The officiating ministers were Pastors C Tidene Brevett and Sheldon Schooler. Donations were made to the Okine Brevett Skatalites Fund. Interment followed at a family plot in Red Ground, Negril.

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Explosion Rocks Kingston

Residents of two neighbouring communities in Kingston Gardens have been left dumbstruck and wondering what hit them after an explosive device described as having an "earthquake effect" erupted in the community in the wee hours of yesterday morning.

The explosion, which occurred around 2:30 a.m. along Marlborough Road, was reportedly heard almost a mile away.

When The Gleaner arrived on the scene yesterday morning, a huge hole in the base of a concrete perimeter fence, which stood between the roadway and concrete building, spoke to the magnitude of the explosion.

Forensic experts believe the explosion occurred between the house and the perimeter fence, but they too were unable to say what type of device could have left four vehicles parked along the roadway in ruin.

Houses more than 30 feet away from where the explosion was believed to have taken place were also impacted by the blast.

Irma Senior, who lives in one of three houses in the yard where the explosion took place, was at a loss as to who could have carried out the act. The elderly woman is also amazed as to how she was the only person in the vicinity who did not hear the explosion.

"About minutes to three, a woman up the road come and call mi and ask if mi nuh hear what happen. When mi look, the glass window in my cousin house lick out. The toilet in the house and the tiles dem lift up," she said of the building closest to where the explosion took place.

There was no one in the house at the time of the incident.

"I have no idea why someone would want to do this, I tell you the God truth," she said.

Vehicles damaged

A woman who lived across the street from where the explosion occurred recalled her ordeal.

"When mi hear it and jump up out a mi sleep, mi think a the children dem turn over the entertainment centre," she said.

"After mi get up and realise seh a nuh that, mi wait a while then me peep out the window and realise say the vehicles dem mash up."

The left side of a 1991 Nissan Sunny motor vehicle was dented by the impact of the blast. Its windscreens were also blown out, while the bumper was left barely hanging. A Chevrolet vehicle was also damaged by the impact. The other vehicles, which like the Nissan and Chevrolet had been parked along the side of the road, were removed from the scene before The Gleaner arrived.

"All now mi a try figure out what happen. Maybe things would a worse if a never fi the vehicles dem weh did park near to my window," the woman said, pointing to her living room aluminium window which was dented by the impact.

"A outside job that," declared a young man from the nearby Nugent Lane community, who said he was awake at the time of the explosion.

"Me glass windows dem mash out and fly all over the place and same time mi chuck on the ground. When mi look, everything start drop off the wall. It did terrible," he said.

Detectives from the Area Four Police Station have since taken two men into custody for questioning.

Samples were also taken from the scene.

 

Okeene Brevett

Relatives say the 32-year-old son of a founding member of the pioneering Jamaican ska and reggae band The Skatalites was fatally shot about an hour after accepting a music award for his ill father.

Ruth Brevett says her son Okine was killed by a gunman at the entrance of his home in the rough Seaview Gardens area of Kingston.

He was shot about 15 minutes after showing his 80-year-old father, Lloyd Brevett, an award from the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association for the father’s musical contributions. Former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson handed over the award.

My head turned into a football!

A young woman who fancied a new look was temporarily blinded and hospitalised for three days following a severe reaction to hair dye she bought in the supermarket.

Carmen Rowe’s face swelled up ‘like a football’ after using the Clairol ‘Nice n’ Easy’ natural black colour that she bought at her local Asda. She was admitted to Morriston Hospital in Swansea the following day after the swelling left her unable to see.

Yet the 25-year-old said she carried out a skin test 48 hours before using the dye without a problem and had been colouring her hair since she was 13-years-old.

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