This is a house in Cornpeace Settlement, Clarendon, which was allegedly set on fire by a man with an unsound mind whom the residents called “Matthew”. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
The women of Cornpeace Settlement in Hayes, Clarendon live in fear because of the behavior and sexual advances of a man they call Matthew.
During a recent visit to the community, Jamaica Observer Taken to a house devastated by a fire that residents claim was caused by Matthew.
Several women in the community said. Sunday Observer They are afraid because they cannot predict what Matthew will do next.
According to Faye Brown, Matthew jumps out of a bush and grabs women from the community. She said that if they resisted or tried to drive him away, Matthew would start looking for stones to throw at them.
“He continues to approach you in a sexual and threatening manner. I called the police department and they said they would send a patrol team to look for him. [that] At the same time, they can’t do anything about this situation, so they have to protect themselves from him,” Brown claimed.
“He’s been mentally unstable for a long time, but he’s never behaved like this before. Early last year he started behaving like this. , took him to the hospital to get medicine, but he became aggressive towards people, he used to go to the girl for medicine, but he stopped. suspect he is doing drugs. He is getting worse every day.
“Last week he set fire to the house he was sleeping in. The other day when I came home from school, he stopped and asked me to borrow matches. Burn me out of his own house.” [Wednesday] I saw him smiling to himself and boasting, ‘I dated three girls the other day,'” Brown added.
Lillian Brown was at the bar the day the house burned down when she saw Matthew walk past him in his underpants.
“When I saw him running over there, I was laughing wondering who was bothering Matthew, but when I went to the sink to wash my hands, I saw smoke. I thought it was the bushes behind him, but on closer inspection, the sound coming from the ceiling lit up the mattress he was sleeping on.
“The person in charge of the place said he saw him in the morning. He woke him up and asked him why he was there and who said he was there. It was just after 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. The house opened just after 2:00 p.m. It was on fire,” Lillian said.
“The Monday night before that, he attacked my bartender. She was playing music and dancing. She turned around and pushed him away, he ran off and started looking for a stone and ran in.
“Honestly, I’m terrified of him. I went to Hayes Police Station last Wednesday. The woman said this was a mental health issue, not a police issue. Lillian insisted, adding that Matthew was calm, polite, and attended church regularly when he was on drugs.
“Surprisingly, he’s back to square one and we’re all afraid of him.
said another young woman. Sunday Observer She is also scared of Matthew. She said during her recent encounter that he began to touch himself in a sexual way when he exposed his private parts and saw her heading in his direction. She said she was traumatized by him.
Hayes Police Department Corporal Bailey observer on sunday Residents may very well be telling the truth about the harassment from Matthew, but said no reports were filed in the station’s diary.
“I don’t know Matthew. I’m from the streets, Cornpeace is a little far away. Go away.”
“I cannot speak for everyone, but I have not seen such an entry in the diary. I’m not saying it’s not happening, but I can’t see the entrance,” the officer said.
