Teen charged in Manchester rape case as police probe Spanish Town triple killing

A series of police and court matters unfolded across Jamaica on Thursday, June 4, including a rape charge against a 15-year-old Manchester student, a suspected deadly shark encounter off Trelawny, and a triple killing in Spanish Town.

Police say the teenager, from Alligator Pond in Manchester, was charged after a May 20 incident in which a girl went to a business place to use a restroom and was sexually assaulted. The boy was later held, identified during an identification parade, and is scheduled to appear in the Manchester Family Court on June 16.

In Trelawny, 55-year-old Falmouth fisherman Dennis Clark remains missing after failing to return from sea. Fred Christie, president of the Trelawny Fisherman’s Association, said searchers found Clark’s fish gun, but not his body. He said hope of finding him alive has faded and urged fishermen to use shark bands, which he said help keep sharks away. If confirmed, Clark would be the second fisherman since 2024 suspected to have died in a shark attack in Jamaican waters, following the disappearance of William Knibb Memorial High student Jamarie Reed in August 2024.

In St. Catherine, police say the death toll from Wednesday night’s shooting on Corletts Road in Spanish Town has climbed to three. Two victims were identified as businessman Aake Smith, 27, and Barton Stewart, while the third man’s name was not immediately released. A 21-year-old woman was also injured. The Major Investigation Division is leading the probe, and no motive has been established.

Separately, Sheldon Hines was fined $100,000 or 60 days in prison after pleading guilty in the St. Catherine Parish Court to possession of and dealing in ganja. Police said about 11 pounds of ganja were found during a search. A woman initially charged with him was freed after the Crown offered no evidence.

The Firearm Licensing Authority has also signalled it may drop court action against an Integrity Commission report alleging database manipulation involving fabricated ammunition purchases. FLA chairman retired Supreme Court judge Glenn Worthy Brown said the agency would not waste the court’s time. The report, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, included findings linked to firearm dealer Kent Brown, allegations the FLA rejected, and separate conclusions that 1,224 firearms and parts stored for destruction were accounted for.