Dispute over space in market leaves vendor dead

A dispute between two vendors in the Cleveland Standhope Market, along Willie Delisser Boulevard, in Lucea, Hanover, on Wednesday afternoon, resulted in one of the men being stabbed to death and the other taken into custody.

The deceased has been identified as 45-year-old Everette Ennis, otherwise called 'Eva', a farmer of Phase 3, Llandilo, in Westmoreland.

Reports by the Lucea police are that, shortly after 5:45 p.m., Ennis and the other man got involved in a dispute inside the market over space. It is reported that Ennis accused the man of occupying his space and ordered him to move.

The man refused and they got involved in a physical confrontation. Ennis reportedly used a bottle to hit the accused in the neck. The accused brandished a knife which he used to stab Ennis in the chest and abdomen. The accused ran from the market and attempted to board a taxi, but was apprehended by a police officer.

A food vendor said he was at the scene when the incident occurred, and believes that, if Ennis had just listened to advice to take it easy, he would still be alive.

"A nuff time mi si man an man ketch a fight inna di market ova space. An dis a nuh di first time mi a si man even a get stab up, but actually di first time mi witness one a dem a dead," the vendor said.

The Lucea police say they are now carrying out an investigation into the incident, and that the accused is to be questioned in the presence of his lawyer on the weekend.

Thirty-three persons were murdered in Hanover last year.