Murder-accused chef remanded in St. James as UWI warns of fake website and child dies in Old Harbour crash

A chef accused of fatally stabbing a neighbour in front of her young son is due back before the St. James Parish Court on July 29. Ezra Allen, who is charged with murder in the killing of 38-year-old Kadin Beswick of Katherine Hall, has appeared twice without legal representation, and no bail application has been filed. He remains in custody.

Prosecutors allege that on April 30 Beswick was asleep when sounds inside her home woke her and she found Allen in her bedroom. He is said to have stabbed her during the attack. Her son was drawn by the commotion and witnessed the assault. Beswick reportedly told the child to run, but Allen allegedly seized him and choked him until he lost consciousness. Allen then left the scene and returned to his nearby home.

Neighbours who heard screams alerted the police. Around 12:30 the following morning, officers were called to the residence and found Beswick's body on its back with multiple stab wounds. The child was removed from the premises by residents. Investigators interviewed several people and used forensic tools during the inquiry. A police dog from the Jamaica Constabulary Force K9 unit helped locate what investigators believe was the weapon used in the attack and clothing linked to the suspect. Allen was later taken from his home, arrested, and charged.

At a court appearance last Wednesday, the prosecutor said the scene-of-crime disc and a statement were on file, along with a corroborating officer's statement. A post-mortem report, identification parade form, CCTV footage, a functionality statement, and a forensic certificate were still outstanding. Judge Naticia Fairclough Hilton remanded Allen until the matter returns to court.

The University of the West Indies warned on Monday that an unauthorized website is falsely claiming affiliation with the institution. In a press release, the university said the site is not endorsed or authorized, uses UWI name and branding without permission, and includes a form to capture personal data. Any information submitted there is not received by the university. The university said it has begun a coordinated response, including reporting the matter to relevant international cyber and law-enforcement authorities, pursuing legal and technical steps to remove the site, and working with partners to limit harm. Individuals who may have been affected are advised to exercise increased precaution regarding follow-up communications claiming to be from UWI, refrain from sharing additional personal or financial information in response to unsolicited messages, and verify all communications exclusively through official university channels.

In St. Catherine, three-year-old Oziah Williams of Blackwood Gardens, Old Harbour Bay, died on Saturday evening after he reportedly broke free from his mother's grip and ran into the path of a white 2017 Toyota Probox along Terminal Road in Old Harbour around 6:30 p.m. The Old Harbour Police are investigating. Road safety figures show 137 people were killed in 123 fatal crashes across Jamaica up to June 26.

In St. Andrew, a security officer handed 72 rounds of assorted ammunition to the Red Hills Police around 10:05 p.m. on Sunday after the rounds were found at a premises in Cooper's Hill, Red Hills, once occupied by a security company. Detectives from the Constant Spring Criminal Investigation Branch are probing the discovery.