Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

Martiman Golding - Contributed

Jamaica College, which has produced many prominent members of society, was yesterday thrown into turmoil after 17-year-old Martiman Golding was stabbed to death on the school compound by one of his schoolmates.

The alleged killer was, up to press time, in police custody, where he was being interrogated.

Ruel Reid, principal of the school said the dispute between the boys began on Friday when the perpetrator and his friends threw a fire cracker on Golding's cousin who was standing at a bus stop near the school. The cousin who is a student at Mona High reported the matter to Golding.

Mr. Reid said Golding then went to the perpetrator yesterday to enquire about Friday's incident when a dispute developed between the two boys.

Kept pushing for a fight

The Gleaner learnt that the boy accused of the murder, pleaded with Golding to allow them to sort out the dispute another way, but Golding kept pushing for a fight.

A knife was reportedly passed to the perpetrator who used it to slash Golding in the lower abdomen. Students on the scene were left traumatised as his intestines were said to be protruding from the wound.

He was taken to the nearby University Hospital of the West Indies where attempts were made to revive him, but he later died.

"We are extremely upset, very very traumatised about what has occurred. The entire school community is very disappointed and we have made so much effort to improve the performance and security of our school," Mr. Reid told The Gleaner.

He said the two boys were beneficiaries of the school's intervention programme, called Success Centre.

The principal said Golding was showing good progress in terms of changes in his behaviour and was making good academic progress.

The killer on the other hand "seemed to have relapsed and was not going to classes and not showing any interest in school at all," said Mr. Reid.

He added: "What is sad is that we have previously expelled a number of boys and we certainly did not see that the behaviour of these young men on campus in recent times would have led to this. They were on our watchlist, but were showing some improvement."

Random searches

The principal commended the boys whom he said accosted the killer and took him to the office of the Dean of Discipline.

While the school has metal detectors, Mr. Reid, a former president of the Jamaica Teachers Association, said it was difficult to search every student each day, adding that the administration responds to intelligence and conduct random searches.

Golding, who was placed at Mona High School after he did his Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), requested a transfer to Jamaica College. Both boys were repeating fourth form.

petrina.francis@gleanerjm.com