Bitter feud ends in tragedy

The parents of the boy who allegedly killed Seaforth High School student Kland Doyle say they have been a wreck since hearing the news.

The parents, who will not be named so as to protect the child's identity, said that their son called them, complaining that Kland had assaulted him on Monday. The boys had reportedly been feuding for years. The father said he instructed his son not to commence the afternoon shift, but to return home so they could report the matter to the police. But, the 14-year-old reportedly travelled to Morant Bay where he purchased a knife which is believed to have been used to inflict the deadly stab to Doyle's abdomen.

"My son called me and tell mi say Kland attack him from behind and beat him up and mi tell him say him must come home and don't go to Morant Bay. Afterwards mi hear say the youth get stab up a Morant Bay, but mi never know say it have anything to do with my kid. From it happen all now mi nuh sleep or eat. A just bare rum mi take for it," he said.

Currently, his son and two other boys are in police custody. The boy's mother said she wishes that years of physical disputes did not end in one of the boys' demise. She said she and Kland's mother had shared a close friendship which had started to wither due to the constant altercations between their sons.

"Is not likkle talk mi talk to dem and even the boy weh dead is a little yute weh mi love bad. This is not what I envisioned for any of them. Nobody win in this situation," she said. The woman said that she scolded her son when he called and said they had ganged up on Kland after he attacked him earlier.

"Mi tell him say all him need to do was come home like him fada say and him shouldn't go buy any knife. Him say 'Mommy mi buy di knife but ano mi cut him, mi don't know how him get the cut'. Him never know he died when he got the cut," she said.

The father said the boys have been feuding from before both were 10 years old. He admitted that his son would usually hurl insults at Doyle but only when he was provoked. A rumour about Doyle is allegedly the genesis of the issues between the boys. The father told THE STAR that he did not spread the rumour in their Castle Hill, Bath community.

"I say it to a one or two person. But, yuh know dat person hear, so him ago tell a next man," he said, adding that Doyle's family accused him of being a liar. He alleged that Doyle was the aggressor.

"The one that dead I don't know if him head never good or what, but from couple years now a bare antagonisation to my kid. This a happen from dem a go primary school and is two different primary school dem use to go. Is about five years now the provocation happening. When him trouble mi son, mi son would call him [slur]. But the police come all the time and talk to both set of parents. One time police come and talk and by the next day the teacher at Seaforth High call and tell mi say him attack mi son with knife but him never cut him," he said. The father said he reported the matter to the police and begged the officers to warn him.

"A nuff time him beat up mi son but mi never press any charges because a youth dem. The dead youth mother always go report it to the station but mi never really deh pon dem. A nuff time mi and mi son mother try reach out to his mother suh we can talk out tings but dem never deh pon dat. Probably if the youth dem did see love a show and we a talk out tings, it probably wouldn't end up this way. A nuff time I could charge him for things but I tell the police no because dem a child," he said.

"I don't know what to say and mi nago tell any lies on anyone. Mi did just want dem to live loving and it nah work. Mi try to squash dis. Mi wasn't there when the incident happen and mi don't know if mi son stab him or not," Harris added.