Mother of deceased upset with level of security around accused killer

by Chelsea Alexander

The mother of a man who was stabbed to death last year is fed up with the many adjournments in her son’s murder case and also what she perceives to be the lax security surrounding the man charged with killing her son.

Melita Charles, the mother of Christopher Rouse, said the case in which Benjamin Jackson, a 49-year-old businessman is charged with her son’s murder, was adjourned for the ninth time last week.

“My problem now is the case keep putting off, putting off,” the visibly upset woman said.{{more}}

“In Barbados, where I’m living, this matter done deal with,” she continued.

Rouse, a 28-year-old handy man from Glen, was stabbed in his neck on November 1, 2015.

Charles, who had just left court before she came to SEARCHLIGHT, stated that she was also not pleased with the level of security around the accused murderer, especially after court hearings.

She recalled that on one occasion, Jackson was escorted from the court to the prison by one police officer.

“He come downstairs with a handcuff on he hand, with one police officer and walk from the Magistrate Court through Paul’s Lot to the prison,” she said.

She stressed the importance of upgrading the security around Jackson.

“They need to have this man, for his own safety, under security, because I myself might attack him. If I was the person I was before I give my life to Christ, they would’ve locked me up, because I myself would have rushed him,” she said.

“They will lock me up next time they do this,” she continued.

Charles also disclosed that on the day Jackson was being escorted to the prison through Kingstown, she had to discourage one of her family members from attacking him.

“They need to do something about this system. They need to guard that man…. Don’t give him no slip through pass,” she pleaded.

An emotional Charles also revealed a few unfortunate events in her life which led her to migrate to Barbados.

She said that her husband, Roland Rouse, was also stabbed to death in 1991 by his brother, and her two-year-old daughter was run over and killed by a van.

“Like St Vincent just taking, taking from me and I don’t have anything else to give them,” she said.

Charles says although she forgives Jackson, she wants justice for her son and she expects him to be found guilty and receive life imprisonment.

“In all, I forgive him, because you have to forgive people, but I want my justice. Vengeance is for God, but justice is for man,” she said.

“I looking for that man to get 20 years, you know. Life for a life.”