Glenroy Sinclair and Petrina Francis, Staff Reporters
Ruel Reid, JTA president.
STAFF AND students at the Windward Primary and Junior High School will resume the new school term in mourning, following the murder of a teacher during a dispute in east Kingston yesterday.
Thirty-four year-old Delta Bailey of Savannah Close, Manley Meadows in east Kingston, was the second educator to fall victim to the country's murder spree this week.
Deputy Superintendent Steve McGreggor, acting commanding officer for eastern Kingston, said yesterday that Ms. Bailey's murder appeared to be a domestic dispute.
KILLED OVER BICYCLE
It is alleged that her nephew had refused to lend a man his bicycle. The bicycle was later left in the care of Ms. Bailey who had sent her nephew to the shop.
In another attempt to get the bicycle, the same man approached Ms. Bailey and had his request turned down. It is believed that an argument developed and a knife was used to stab her.
"We have a fair description of the person who we think committed the murder," DSP McGreggor told The Gleaner yesterday.
The death of the teacher comes on the heels of the brutal murder of a school principal, Manning Marsh, whose body was found Monday on the compound of the Boscobel Primary School. Mr. Marsh's throat was slashed. He was said to have been a witness in a murder case before the court.
Yesterday Senator Noel Montieth, State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture, condemned the murder of the teacher. He said it was a reflection of what was happening in the society.
"We will have to do all that we have been doing and more to see how we can stem this wave of crime that is going through this country," he added.
Ruel Reid, newly-installed president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA), also denounced the teacher's murder and said the entire teaching profession was saddened by the loss of its colleague.
Mr. Reid said his organisation was appealing to the authorities to make every effort to bring the criminals to justice.
Meanwhile Silvero Castro, vice chairman of the Windward Primary and Junior High School board, told The Gleaner that the entire school community was in mourning.
"It is a sad day in education, we need to get back to a more caring society," he said.
Mr. Castro said he would be arranging counselling for the school population when the institution reopens next Wednesday.
