(Jamaica Star) A central Jamaica man is demanding a $200-million settlement from a bakery after he got sick from eating one of its products that contained rat faeces in August.
Leon Johnson, a construction worker, said he is seeking the huge payment for months of medical discomfort and loss of income. Among his ills, he has a terrible rash.
“All now mi still on medication fi clear dem up but dem nah go anywhere. Is construction work mi do and mi can’t do nuh work because mi still sick. Mi nuh want nuh out-a-court settlement because a mi life we a talk bout. Mi coulda dead left mi wife and pickney dem. If yuh see mi skin, yuh wouldn’t wa come near mi,” he said.
Johnson said it was a stomach turning moment when he bit into the sumptuous baked product and saw the unpleasant ‘ingredients’.
MI COULDA DEAD
“Is a supermarket mi buy it from and after mi stand up a eat it mi see some black tings and when mi look closer it look like insect filth. Mi stop eat same time and call the bakery same time and dem send someone come look at it and the person who come say mi must just tek a ting from dem. Suh mi say no cuz mi coulda dead. Mi stomach sick same time,” Johnson said.
He told THE STAR that a few days later he began feeling ill and noticed a rash covering his body.
“Mi carry the bun and show the doctor and him examine mi and give me a set of antibiotics. Mi consult a lawyer and she carry the bun go Bureau of Standards go test and dem find rat hair, rat filth and ants in the bun. Mi don’t want a next bun to eat after this. The doctor say is leptospirosis and that is what on the medical,” he said. THE STAR has not been able to independently confirm this.
Johnson, who is in his 50s, said he usually works as much as $150,000 monthly, but currently is unable to collect a paycheque as he is still being affected by the incident.
He remains adamant that he will not settle for anything less than the $200 million.
If dem nuh wah do dat, mi a go milk dem dry. Leptospiroris kill someone whe mi know recently, suh anno joke thing. What mi wa know is whe di owner dem did deh when di rat filth a leggo inna di bun, where were you?” he said.
The attorney who Johnson consulted stated that she was extremely uncomfortable with discussing the matter publicly at this time. She, however, stated that she had received a letter from a lawyer after she had sent the company a demand note. She also stated that the findings were not connected to leptospirois.
