VERDICT SUMMARY: Cliff seen as unsafe
I’Akobi Tacuma Maloney, 23, of Hutson’s Alley, Reed Street, St Michael, died on June 17, 2008, at Land Lock, St Lucy. The circumstances of his death were investigated by the Coroner’s Court and last Friday, Coroner Faith Marshall-Harris in her verdict said his death was due to misadventure. The following is Part 4 of an edited version of the verdict which began on Monday. It continues in tomorrow’s SUNDAY SUN.
MALONEY HAD certainly never mentioned any personal problems, any problems with work colleagues or with cement dust and sinusitis nor articulated any problems working at Arawak, apart from the temporary status.
Once again the resignation was a total surprise and he thought the response, “I am taking responsibility for my back”, sounded totally unlike Maloney.
It now appeared to Adesegha that when Maloney came to his lab that morning briefly and then left with his bag to see Collymore he had already made up his mind to resign.
Approximately 10:15 that morning, Maloney called his mother who was at her usual spot in Holetown under the trees close to the taxi stand. The conversation between them, as reported seems contradictory. She reported that he said “Mumz, Mumz, Mumz, I feel real good, I fire the work. I was here in Speightstown for a while just checking the scenes and it feels boring and monotonous.
“I waiting for a bus to go out to The Cove. I was waiting for 15 minutes. I ain’t see no bus coming and I ain’t see much people waiting going in this direction, and I decide to call you to see if I could come and hang out with you.” Mrs Maloney told her son that the sun was hot; that he was sick and he should go home and get some rest.
Maloney replied to her that he had been at home for two weeks and he felt like going to watch some scenery and that he was going to The Cove and that he would see her in the evening.
This was not surprising to Mrs Maloney. He had previously told her that he found peace and quiet at The Cove, and she knew he had gone there before to relax. That was the last time she heard from him.
At about 11:30 a.m. Maloney was seen by Nicolai Phillips, a local fisherman from Pie Corner, St Lucy. Phillips was walking away from Little Bay; Maloney was walking towards it coming from Turntable, so-called because the buses coming from Bridgetown turn around there for the return journey to The City. It appeared that Maloney had disembarked from the 11:30 bus but this could not be absolutely verified.
Suffice it to say that when Phillips saw him he was then fully clothed and carrying a haversack. They passed each other on the foot path and Maloney gave him “that Rastafari respect”. Phillips said he went on his way and Maloney continued towards the beach area. He found nothing unusual or remarkable about Maloney.
Anthony Collymore, a fire officer of Pie Corner, St Lucy, came home about 3:30 in the afternoon. Collymore’s house has two floors, the top floor of which is partially constructed, and from the kitchen area of this structure he can look straight onto a desolate, windswept expanse of rocky shale leading to the coast which is called Land Lock.
This area is to the south of Little Bay, the direction Maloney was seen heading that morning and to the north of Cove Bay. The access to Land Lock is by way of a dry water course leading from Turntable and is singularly unwelcoming in the noonday sun.
A wide-open and barren land, it is devoid of tree or shrub to give respite from a blazing sun. It is a desolate spot. Under foot, it is covered with sharp stones which are particularly painful to walk on, even in normal shoes and would be even worse to one barefooted. While it gives a great look out to the vast Atlantic Ocean, the location itself is hostile and inhospitable in the relentless fury, heat and glare of the sun when it is high in the sky.
While there is quite often a sharp breeze or wind, there is no place where one can sit or stand with comfort without inviting the ravages of sun stroke. The Court visited the locus at the material time and experienced this discomfort first hand.
Beyond the rocky terrain is the cliff’s edge beneath which huge waves crash onto outcrops of rock. We are informed by local residents that this area is considered rough and dangerous: There is massive erosion of the cliff and pieces of it have broken off and fallen into the sea below. Indeed these portions of rock which have broken away from the cliff now form rocky platforms or ledges part way down to the base of the cliff which is estimated to have a 50-60-foot drop.
Residents will not venture too near to the cliff’s edge because it is well known that it is unstable in that it crumbles and is therefore unsafe. As one walks towards the cliff edge it is impossible to get a firm grip and one runs the danger of slipping and sliding about unless one is wearing boots.
This wild and rocky landscape is totally unlike the neighbouring spots. Both Little Bay and Cove Bay are far more salubrious. Cove Bay in particular is shaded by trees and cooled by a lambent breeze. Underfoot is soft grass or sand. Both places are desirable spots for a day out communing with nature as proposed by Maloney.
The sea is also very rough at Land Lock and consequently, it would be startling to see anyone pacing or stooping or standing on this cliff’s edge for any length of time. Added to this, the residents have local knowledge of drug landings in this area so they keep a sharp look out.
As an example, a local fisherman found himself, unwittingly playing host to a drug boat when he turned on his flashlight looking for bait he had dropped while fishing in the area. He got an answering beam from a boat which proceeded to rapidly advance towards him so he did the wisest thing and turned heel and ran as fast as he could for home. Once there he was emboldened by the presence of his brothers who called the police. They made their way back to Land Lock and flashed their torchlights again and again the boat advanced. They got scared and ran and the boat retreated. Consequently by the time the police got there it was clear to the persons on the boat that this was not the welcome signal they anticipated, so they veered off.
The area is considered dangerous and consequently only fishermen frequent it. Sure enough, hikers may traverse Land Lock coming from Little Bay/Turntable going towards Cove Bay but few would choose to linger and those who do so would be viewed as suspicious or deranged. It is for this reason that Anthony Collymore kept a close watch when he looked out of what would become his kitchen window and which gives a clear and unobstructed view of Land Lock and he saw a man alternately stooping and pacing fairly close (about 6ft) to the cliff’s edge.
The local fishermen and residents are well aware that you should go no closer to that weak and crumbling edge than about 7ft. A number of them, including Clyde Collymore, and others provided the court with these details. There is a crack in the cliff formation which has been used by fishermen to get down to a small beach below, but one would have to be very sure footed and a strong swimmer.
Anthony Collymore observed two things that afternoon: A strange man, notably a Rastafarian, near the cliff’s edge and a whitish boat out to sea about three miles away. He immediately thought this to be suspicious and at the recorded time of 4:53 placed a call to Operations Control of the Royal Barbados Police Force to inform them of the suspected drug activity.
Tags: Adesegha, Anthony Collymore, cliff, Clyde Collymore, Coroner, drugs, Faith Marshall-Harris, Jason Collymore, Marguerita Maloney, misadventure, Nicolai Phillips, operations control, Reed Street, resignation, Royal Barbados Police Force, sinus problems, turn-table, verdict