Twelve-year-old Jamal Waterman yesterday recounted the accidental poisoning of his family and a neighbour when they unknowingly ingested cocaine-laced SSS multi-vitamin tonic, of which he is the only survivor.
Waterman, with tears in his eyes, recounted the events while testifying at the trial of Deon Layne, who is charged with possession of cocaine for trafficking. The boy’s mother, Simone Price, his brother, Jahaquel Blair, his step-father Alex Blair, and their neighbour Natasha George succumbed as a result of the poisoning.
According to Waterman, he was in his bedroom while his stepfather was in the living room when Layne came by their Cocorite Street, East La Penitence residence. However, moments after, he took a peek through his window and saw Layne leaving.
About an hour later, his mother, Price, returned from church with George and asked him to go to her room and bring her a bag that had a bottle in it. Waterman told the court he did as he was instructed and returned to his room. Afterward, his mother called him and his brother to the living room where she was sitting at the time with their neighbour and his step-father and she offered him a snap glass of the liquid from the bottle.
Waterman said that upon consuming the liquid he started to feel upset and his tongue was feeling numb. He went outside, where he spat the substance out and drank some “Kool Kidz” juice given to him by his mother.
Waterman was later taken to the hospital along with his brother and stepfather in a van of a friend after they started to yell for help before his brother fell on the floor and started to “froth.” They were followed by his mother in a taxi because she had also taken the liquid. Waterman was admitted a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital and he later learnt of the deaths of his family members and neighbour. Waterman spent about two weeks in the hospital.
Layne, 34, of HH Freeman Street, East La Penitence, is accused of having had 252 grammes of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking, on May 2 at Lot 22 Cocorite Street, East La Penitence
It is the police’s case that Layne went to the house, where Candacy McGarrell had been staying during her visit from the United States and asked her to take the tonic back to that country for his brother. Police said McGarrell did not, however, take the cocaine-laced tonic with her when she returned to the US and instead the occupants of the house all drank the tonic and fell ill. The four persons subsequently died and autopsies found that they died as a result of ingesting the cocaine-laced tonic.
The tonic was tested and traces of cocaine were found. The cocaine extracted from the tonic amounted to 252 grammes.
Layne was arrested after three months on the run. His trial will continue on September 29.
