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Daughter who attacked her Jamaican father's killers on Facebook suspended by country's tourist board
By JAMES BEAL
Last updated at 12:01 AM on 15th January 2012
A BRITISH marketing rep working for the Jamaican Tourism Board has been suspended after expressing her grief on Facebook about her father’s murder on the Caribbean island.
Zoe Bennett, 35, from Preston, Lancashire, made the comments after discovering that Errol Bennett, 59, had bled to death after being attacked by machete-wielding intruders while on holiday.
Zoe, who has worked for seven years as a rep travelling across the UK promoting Jamaica, posted three messages on the social networking site.
Tragedy: Zoe Bennet with her murdered father Errol
Zoe, who is seven months pregnant, wrote: ‘The b******* have murdered my dad in Jamaica. My heartbeat, my life has gone.’
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But instead of sending flowers and their sympathies, her bosses suspended her and launched an investigation into the comments.
Her brother Errol Jnr, 40, yesterday said: ‘She has been devastated by this – what the Jamaican Tourist Board have done is disgusting.
‘She has had so much to think about – our dad’s killers are still out there – but the Jamaican Tourist Board only seem interested in protecting the reputation of the country.
‘Zoe did not even criticise Jamaica, they were just emotional comments made about Dad’s killer hours after he was murdered. The page is personal to her and nothing to do with the . . . it is despicable.’
Retired Errol Snr, also from Preston, was attacked on December 17 while on a winter break at his villa in the parish of Hector’s River on the east coast of Jamaica.
The former upholsterer, who moved to Britain from Jamaica in 1967, suffered 15 separate injuries – including deep wounds to his head and torso.
Zoe received the news of his death later that day and immediately booked a flight to Jamaica.
'She was unable to attend the disciplinary hearing because she had only just buried her dad.'
She then logged on to her Facebook account to contact relatives in America.
Zoe also wrote: ‘I will always love you. My daddy RIP I will always love you. I will avenge you, mark my words.’
She then wrote: ‘All I want is justice. But the police are slow on the uptake even though they have a witness statement.’ Later in the day, she posted on Facebook: ‘Heading off to Jamaica in the morning.
‘The b******* can try and kill me too – but f*** them. I will have my eyes open.’
The single mum departed for Jamaica the next day, while on her scheduled Christmas holidays, to identify her father’s body.
But in a phone call to her regional director at the Jamaican Tourism Board on December 19, she was told that officials had seen the Facebook comments and she would be spoken to about them on her return.
Zoe, who lives with daughters Charnai, 16, and Aliyah, 18 months, was signed off sick by her GP on arriving back to the UK on January 2. On January 5, she received a letter from the tourist board telling her that she had been suspended due to ‘comments on Facebook’ and that it had launched an investigation.
The board, which is based in the Jamaican High Commission in London, asked her to attend a disciplinary meeting on January 13, two days after her father’s funeral in Preston.
She has been told the disciplinary investigation will also cover ‘breaches of confidence’ after her suspension was reported in a local newspaper.
Errol Jnr, also from Preston, told The Mail on Sunday yesterday: ‘She was unable to attend the disciplinary hearing because she had only just buried her dad.’
The Jamaican Tourist Board confirmed Miss Bennett has been suspended but said that it would not be releasing a detailed statement as the case was ongoing.
A spokesman denied asking her to attend a disciplinary meeting.
He added: ‘We wish to reiterate that Ms Bennett continues to have our deepest sympathy and support.’
Jamaican police are yet to catch Errol Snr’s killers.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1jUIDFy5g
Last updated at 12:01 AM on 15th January 2012
A BRITISH marketing rep working for the Jamaican Tourism Board has been suspended after expressing her grief on Facebook about her father’s murder on the Caribbean island.
Zoe Bennett, 35, from Preston, Lancashire, made the comments after discovering that Errol Bennett, 59, had bled to death after being attacked by machete-wielding intruders while on holiday.
Zoe, who has worked for seven years as a rep travelling across the UK promoting Jamaica, posted three messages on the social networking site.
Tragedy: Zoe Bennet with her murdered father ErrolZoe, who is seven months pregnant, wrote: ‘The b******* have murdered my dad in Jamaica. My heartbeat, my life has gone.’
More...
But instead of sending flowers and their sympathies, her bosses suspended her and launched an investigation into the comments.
Her brother Errol Jnr, 40, yesterday said: ‘She has been devastated by this – what the Jamaican Tourist Board have done is disgusting.
‘She has had so much to think about – our dad’s killers are still out there – but the Jamaican Tourist Board only seem interested in protecting the reputation of the country.
‘Zoe did not even criticise Jamaica, they were just emotional comments made about Dad’s killer hours after he was murdered. The page is personal to her and nothing to do with the . . . it is despicable.’
Retired Errol Snr, also from Preston, was attacked on December 17 while on a winter break at his villa in the parish of Hector’s River on the east coast of Jamaica.
The former upholsterer, who moved to Britain from Jamaica in 1967, suffered 15 separate injuries – including deep wounds to his head and torso.
Zoe received the news of his death later that day and immediately booked a flight to Jamaica.
'She was unable to attend the disciplinary hearing because she had only just buried her dad.'
She then logged on to her Facebook account to contact relatives in America.
Zoe also wrote: ‘I will always love you. My daddy RIP I will always love you. I will avenge you, mark my words.’
She then wrote: ‘All I want is justice. But the police are slow on the uptake even though they have a witness statement.’ Later in the day, she posted on Facebook: ‘Heading off to Jamaica in the morning.
‘The b******* can try and kill me too – but f*** them. I will have my eyes open.’
The single mum departed for Jamaica the next day, while on her scheduled Christmas holidays, to identify her father’s body.
But in a phone call to her regional director at the Jamaican Tourism Board on December 19, she was told that officials had seen the Facebook comments and she would be spoken to about them on her return.
Zoe, who lives with daughters Charnai, 16, and Aliyah, 18 months, was signed off sick by her GP on arriving back to the UK on January 2. On January 5, she received a letter from the tourist board telling her that she had been suspended due to ‘comments on Facebook’ and that it had launched an investigation.
The board, which is based in the Jamaican High Commission in London, asked her to attend a disciplinary meeting on January 13, two days after her father’s funeral in Preston.
She has been told the disciplinary investigation will also cover ‘breaches of confidence’ after her suspension was reported in a local newspaper.
Errol Jnr, also from Preston, told The Mail on Sunday yesterday: ‘She was unable to attend the disciplinary hearing because she had only just buried her dad.’
The Jamaican Tourist Board confirmed Miss Bennett has been suspended but said that it would not be releasing a detailed statement as the case was ongoing.
A spokesman denied asking her to attend a disciplinary meeting.
He added: ‘We wish to reiterate that Ms Bennett continues to have our deepest sympathy and support.’
Jamaican police are yet to catch Errol Snr’s killers.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1jUIDFy5g
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