WHY DIDN’T ANYONE ASSIST?

83-y-o woman chopped to death ‘Downtown’; suspect held

Kimmo Matthews

Friday, May 31, 2013

EIGHTY-three-year-old newspaper vendor Sylvia Sewell was yesterday chopped to death by a man at the intersection of Orange and Beckford streets, downtown Kingston, from where she operated for many years.

An alleged eyewitness told the Jamaica Observer that the incident happened about 7:30 am and sent other traumatised witnesses scampering in fear. The alleged attacker has since been taken into police custody

Onlookers view the body of 83-year-old Sylvia Smellie, who was chopped to death by a man in downtown Kingston, yesterday. (PHOTO: BRYAN CUMMINGS)

1/1

“In all my life I never see anything so cruel. The woman was tending to her business when this man come there and a talk to her, then all of a sudden me hear she say ‘mi nuh have it’,” said witness, who vends in the area.

The man said what would follow next left him rooted to the spot in fear.

“The woman start walking away from him (the attacker) and him just start chop her from back way enuh!” he said.

“All when the woman drop the man go over her and a still a chop her,” said the obviously shaken man.

The incident sent the area into a renzy as people scampered about, bringing traffic in the busy commercial hub to an abrupt halt.

Yesterday, a large crowd gathered to view Sewell’s body sprawled in the middle of the road, its head partially severed.

Among the onlookers was Lorna Smellie, a friend of the slain Hannah Town woman, who wept openly.

“How can somebody look at an 80-odd-year-old woman and do her like that?” Smellie asked as she cried.

A policeman, who was standing nearby, attempted to console the woman but he, too, appeared to be overcome with emotions and used his hat to cover his face.

Meanwhile, the alleged attacker was beaten and chopped several times, before he was rescued by the police. He is now admitted to hospital under police guard.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/83-y-o-woman-chopped-to-death–Downtown—suspect-held_14380283#ixzz2UrwBl8k5