Gay men evicted from Millsborough premises; house to be demolished
BY KARYL WALKER Editor — Crime/Court Desk walkerk@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, July 04, 2013
POLICE from the St Andrew Central Division evicted 16 self-confessed gay men from an abandoned house in the upscale neighbourhood of Millsborough Avenue, Barbican yesterday disclosing that the building will be demolished today.
Dressed in gas masks and gloves, the police team — led by Commander Christopher Murdock from the New Kingston Police Post — entered the residence minutes after 5:00 pm and rounded up the men, none of whom seemed to over 30 years old.
Two of the alleged gay men being led from the abandoned house at Millsborough Avenue in Barbican, St Andrew, yesterday. (PHOTOS: KARL MCLARTY)
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Residents of the well-heeled community have constantly been complained that the men have been behaving in a sickening manner, including being rowdy, bathing naked on the driveway, engaging in brutal fights, stealing water and keeping the place filthy.
The interior of the house was in a deplorable condition yesterday and garbage was strewn about the yard.
"They are rowdy you know, vicious, they tend to strip themselves, they dance in public, they create havoc in the New Kingston area. What I suspect is that these men, they use the umbrella of the gay community to commit wrongdoing," Murdock.
Police also report that a group of male prostitutes, believed to be associates of the homeless gay group, attacked some men who resisted their advances along Lady Musgrave Road some weeks ago. One of the gay men was also stabbed in the back at the Millsborough house, Murdock said.
When the men were rounded up yesterday, one of them with a foreign accent expressed concern about the presence of the media, and hid his face.
The police later found out he was the driver of a Nissan Tiida motorcar which was parked in the yard and which the police suspected was used in a number of robberies committed in the Corporate Area.
However, the car was searched and nothing illegal was found. The driver later told the lawmen that he was from the United States and had brought food and gifts for the men.
The police did not seize the vehicle.
Yesterday, the police disclosed that they were actually on a double mission, also in search of three men known to frequent the house during the days but who hang out at the intersection of Knutsford Boulevard and Grenada Crescent at nights.
The have been identified by their aliases — 'Batman', 'Pebbles' and 'Goodaz'.
The men are believed to have been involved in a brawl in front of the bank on Sunday night, which resulted in one of them being chopped in the head and hospitalised. A section of the bank's glass exterior was also shattered by stones flung during the fight.
Yesterday, one of the men, who goes by the alias Rihanna, broke down in tears as he was told to leave the Millsborough house.
"A Maxfield mi come from and mi can't go back there cause them a go kill me. Things come out unexpectedly and mi don't have nowhere to go. Me have to start from scratch again," sobbed a heavily-bleached Rihanna, who was dressed in a pair black fishnet stockings and wearing a woman's wig and false eyelashes.
One of his colleagues tried to console him.
"Stop the crying and come nuh, babes," he said.
Another of the gays, who appeared to be in his teens, claimed his family had turned their backs on him because of his lifestyle.
Others told the police they were from the inner-city communities of Allman Town, Spanglers — a community which encompasses Chancery Street, Luke Lane, Matthews Lane and Beeston Street in downtown, Kingston — Southside and Bottom Pen in Montego Bay.
Some claimed that they were not involved in any criminality and promised to provide the police with information about the men who were targeting tourists and persons with high end cellular phones in New Kingston.
A Jamaica Observer news team was stoned by men staying at the house last month following a story about their rowdy behaviour.
When questioned by the police, yesterday as to who was responsible for the bottle and stone attack, one of the men said that the attackers was no longer staying at the premises.
Meanwhile, yesterday their please for more time to vacate the premises was rejected.
Some neighbours who drove past as they were being led from the yard expressed relief.
"They should have been moved out a long time ago. They behave too badly and have been stealing water from several homes in the community," one resident said.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz2Y54UgZIA
BY KARYL WALKER Editor — Crime/Court Desk walkerk@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, July 04, 2013
POLICE from the St Andrew Central Division evicted 16 self-confessed gay men from an abandoned house in the upscale neighbourhood of Millsborough Avenue, Barbican yesterday disclosing that the building will be demolished today.
Dressed in gas masks and gloves, the police team — led by Commander Christopher Murdock from the New Kingston Police Post — entered the residence minutes after 5:00 pm and rounded up the men, none of whom seemed to over 30 years old.
Two of the alleged gay men being led from the abandoned house at Millsborough Avenue in Barbican, St Andrew, yesterday. (PHOTOS: KARL MCLARTY)
1/2
Residents of the well-heeled community have constantly been complained that the men have been behaving in a sickening manner, including being rowdy, bathing naked on the driveway, engaging in brutal fights, stealing water and keeping the place filthy.
The interior of the house was in a deplorable condition yesterday and garbage was strewn about the yard.
"They are rowdy you know, vicious, they tend to strip themselves, they dance in public, they create havoc in the New Kingston area. What I suspect is that these men, they use the umbrella of the gay community to commit wrongdoing," Murdock.
Police also report that a group of male prostitutes, believed to be associates of the homeless gay group, attacked some men who resisted their advances along Lady Musgrave Road some weeks ago. One of the gay men was also stabbed in the back at the Millsborough house, Murdock said.
When the men were rounded up yesterday, one of them with a foreign accent expressed concern about the presence of the media, and hid his face.
The police later found out he was the driver of a Nissan Tiida motorcar which was parked in the yard and which the police suspected was used in a number of robberies committed in the Corporate Area.
However, the car was searched and nothing illegal was found. The driver later told the lawmen that he was from the United States and had brought food and gifts for the men.
The police did not seize the vehicle.
Yesterday, the police disclosed that they were actually on a double mission, also in search of three men known to frequent the house during the days but who hang out at the intersection of Knutsford Boulevard and Grenada Crescent at nights.
The have been identified by their aliases — 'Batman', 'Pebbles' and 'Goodaz'.
The men are believed to have been involved in a brawl in front of the bank on Sunday night, which resulted in one of them being chopped in the head and hospitalised. A section of the bank's glass exterior was also shattered by stones flung during the fight.
Yesterday, one of the men, who goes by the alias Rihanna, broke down in tears as he was told to leave the Millsborough house.
"A Maxfield mi come from and mi can't go back there cause them a go kill me. Things come out unexpectedly and mi don't have nowhere to go. Me have to start from scratch again," sobbed a heavily-bleached Rihanna, who was dressed in a pair black fishnet stockings and wearing a woman's wig and false eyelashes.
One of his colleagues tried to console him.
"Stop the crying and come nuh, babes," he said.
Another of the gays, who appeared to be in his teens, claimed his family had turned their backs on him because of his lifestyle.
Others told the police they were from the inner-city communities of Allman Town, Spanglers — a community which encompasses Chancery Street, Luke Lane, Matthews Lane and Beeston Street in downtown, Kingston — Southside and Bottom Pen in Montego Bay.
Some claimed that they were not involved in any criminality and promised to provide the police with information about the men who were targeting tourists and persons with high end cellular phones in New Kingston.
A Jamaica Observer news team was stoned by men staying at the house last month following a story about their rowdy behaviour.
When questioned by the police, yesterday as to who was responsible for the bottle and stone attack, one of the men said that the attackers was no longer staying at the premises.
Meanwhile, yesterday their please for more time to vacate the premises was rejected.
Some neighbours who drove past as they were being led from the yard expressed relief.
"They should have been moved out a long time ago. They behave too badly and have been stealing water from several homes in the community," one resident said.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz2Y54UgZIA
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