Son held in suspected St Bess patricide

A domestic dispute between a father and a son turned deadly in a quiet farming community in Mountainside, St Elizabeth, on Tuesday afternoon.

Dead is Gary Allwood, a 53-year-old farmer, who was reportedly stabbed multiple times inside his home by his 19-year-old son, said to be mentally challenged.

The teenager is now in police custody as investigations continue.

Reports are that some time after 1 p.m., an argument developed between the two at their residence after the father reportedly instructed his son to take some prescribed medication.

“When the police dem hold him, him tell dem say him father tell him fi go tek him pill dem, and it get him enraged,” a resident told The Gleaner.

The pills had reportedly been issued recently following medical consultations to address the teen’s mental condition.

“A recently him carry him go get him injection. The whole thing just mash up me head. He (Gary) is really a humble person that look after him youth dem,” a resident said.

Residents say the young man had been struggling in recent times, with some pointing to noticeable behavioural changes.

According to one community member, the teenager had also recently undergone tests in hopes of joining the police force.

With no significant news since then, he allegedly grew frustrated, at times blaming his father for his stalled ambitions.

On the day in question, the teen was reportedly using a pair of scissors to cut up some marijuana when the confrontation escalated.

Reports are that in a fit of rage, he allegedly used the same scissors to attack his father, stabbing him multiple times.

He then reportedly armed himself with a knife and continued the assault.

An alarm was raised by residents, who rushed to the house, only to find the farmer lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen.

A large crowd quickly gathered as news of the incident spread throughout the community.

“When we hear and go over there, we see him dead on the floor. ... It was really a depressing scene. Everybody in shock,” a resident told The Gleaner.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and his body was later removed to the morgue.

The tragedy has also reignited discussion around mental health support, particularly in rural communities, where access to consistent care and monitoring can be limited.

“The authorities need to examine the various rural communities because many are suffering with how to treat with mental health challenges. They can’t wait until it’s too late,” the resident told The Gleaner.

Investigators say the probe is ongoing, and the teenager remains in custody as they piece together the circumstances surrounding the fatal encounter.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com