Hospital rules prevented young sons from seeing Kamoza Clarke alive
Published:Wednesday | February 26, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Erica Virtue, Senior Gleaner Writer
Kamoza Clarke's two youngest children will finally get to see their father again, but this time they will only get to see his lifeless remains as hospital rules at the Cornwall Regional Hospital did not allow them to see him alive as they were too young.
One is six years old, and the other, two.
Clarke, the mentally ill man beaten unconscious last October by lawmen at the Falmouth police lock-up and left in a vegetative state, died yesterday morning. It is a death the family was expecting, but perhaps, not so early.
His eldest child, a 12-year-old son, visited him Sunday, 48 hours before his death. His sister, Olive Hines, has been the voice of the family since the incident.
Although doctors told her he would die because his injuries were severe, they were hopeful, expecting a miracle.
But after hope ended with news of his death early yesterday morning, she was inconsolable.
"The two young children were not allowed to see him. Even my daughter, she is eight. I asked, but the hospital said the rules did not allow them to see him," she said.
HOPE DASHED
Grief hung heavy during the course of her talk with The Gleaner.
"We are just very sad. Really sad. We were very hopeful that he would not be going down this road, especially because he had spoken. His body was deteriorating, although he seemed more aware. We became hopeful," said Hines, who last visited her brother Monday.
Clarke's last words will haunt his family.
"Police mash mi up. Prayer, head, pain, love you," he had said, agonisingly.
Hours before, District Constables Alwayne Eccleston and Onecko Brown were charged with wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and misconduct in a public office.
Those charges will now be upgraded. However, District Constables Desmond Lawrence and Triston Turner, who were charged with neglect of duty, will not have their charges upgraded, while the police sergeant who gave instruction for force to be used was yet to be found.