Uproar over inquest verdict
Marguerita Maloney, mother of I'Akobi Maloney, being held up by supporters as she mourns the verdict of the inquest into her son's death. (Pictures by Donnay Deane)
I’AKOBI MALONEY’S death was a misadventure.
That was the verdict arrived at by coroner Faith Marshall-Harris at 5 p.m. this afternoon in the controversial case of the 23 year-old Rastafarian. a former Barbados Exhibitioner who allegedly jumped off a 50 ft cliff at the secluded land Lock, St Lucy, last July 17, while being escorted to the station by two police officers.
Ruling out an open verdict and death by suicide, the Magistrate surmised that Maloney may have felt some form of harassment from the police officers, especially when they requested that he accompany them to the station and that “he made a sudden dash for freedom”.
The verdict caused an uproar among family and supporters of the Maloney family who gathered in the courtyard.
I’Akobi’s grieving mother, Marguerita Maloney exited the court, raised her hands in the air, shouted “misadventure” then crumpled to the ground before berating a number of police officers regarding their conduct when I’Akobi died on June 17 last year at Landlock, St. Lucy.
The mother’s cries only fueled emotions, as I’Akobi’s father David, and his young brother Mandela, also started to shout at police officers stationed at the court.
In a corner, the Maloneys’ attorney Andrew Pilgrim broke down in tears, then receded to the empty court-room, as the grieving mother lay prostrate, in tears, and hugged by supporters on hand.
At the gate of the court, armed members of the Royal Barbados Police Force’s Task Force stood on watch, automatic weapons at the ready in case of trouble. Inside, uniformed cops quickly escorted the coroner to her private office after the verdict, then told the crowd to leave at 5.07 p.m.
Tags: Andrew Pilgrim, Coroner, David Maloney, harassment, inquest, Mandela Maloney, Marguerita Maloney, misadventure, Royal Barbados Police Force, sudden dash for freedom, Task Force, verdict
April 25th, 2009 at 1:10 am
THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! SMH!!! I DON’T BELIEVE THIS MESS!!!
*SPEECHLESS*
April 25th, 2009 at 6:31 am
sounds to me like a good enough reason for an independant investigation!!!
April 25th, 2009 at 9:29 am
I feel really sad when i hear this news. My prayers go out to I’Akobi’s family and other friends. Justice will be done, if not on earth in heaven! have faith!
April 25th, 2009 at 9:38 am
This is nonsense as a former ccfs classmate of I’akobi, i cannot agree with this, ‘MISADVENTURE’?? What the hell is that, a man of such high intellect as Tacuma, making a ’sudden dash for freedom’ no this can’t be right…he was to head strong …To I’akobi’s relatives i say ..’never give up the fight, Jah knows what happened that day, and I’a is resting well with him, he knows he was a good person, let justice prevail, Fyah on d ‘Po Po’s’ who lied and to his workmate’s who again lied, never stop believing, your son will never be forgotten’ of that i can assure you…Melissa
April 26th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
the only witness “looked away” at that critical moment… Distractions of “gay accusations”… He looked up and smiled at them after jumping 50ft… UTTER RUBBISH!!!!, i went to UWI with I’akobi and only heard good things about him regarding his personality and intellect, and to think that someone with his potential could be taken in this way with no closure offered to his family is heart wrenching. This case is going to go down in history as one of Barbados’ greatest travesty of justice… My prayers are with the Maloney family
April 29th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
How coincidental - as coincidental as the misadventure verdict.
Listings of the Coincidences:
1) The lone witness looked away at the precise moment that Tacuma “jumped”.
2) It was less than five minutes, therefore the police didn’t have enough time to “do him anything.”
3) It was enough time for him to make up his mind he would nd DID “jump.”
4) What happenned after he made a “dash for it?” Did he slip? Was he looking back and therefore did not see the edge of the cliff? Was this his first time on the cliff and therefore he did not know the terrain? He was near-sighted? WHAT?
5) If he had absolutely NOTHING to fear from the police, why then would he “make a dash”?
6) Would it stand to reason that he would go with the police if he had no reason to run.