Mother of accused murderer cries self-defense

Raheem Smith

On Thursday night we told you about the fatal stabbing incident on George Street that claimed the life of eighteen year old Raheem Smith. Sometime around two in the afternoon, Smith received a single stab wound to the upper right side of his body but died shortly after at the K.H.M.H. Smith’s aunt told News Five that her nephew wasn’t known to frequent George Street, but they were told that he was allegedly killed for his bike  at a house in that area. Well, the man who allegedly stabbed Smith to death, eighteen year old Paul Martinez has been detained and according to police, a knife, believed to be the murder weapon, was retrieved from the scene. Martinez’s mother spoke to News Five today and she says that the other half of the story is quite different from what is being told. She says that Smith, who was acquainted with her son, was a regular on George Street. Ann Martinez says that she visited her son at the police station today and he told her that he had borrowed a bike that was already punctured from Smith and Smith was demanding for him to fix it; shortly after a fight broke out. Martinez says that her son never intended to kill Smith, but he acted in self-defense.

Ann Martinez, Mother of Paul Martinez

Ann Martinez

“First of all, I want to say to this boy’s parents that I’m really sorry because suh deh suffer a loss, I also di suffer with one too. I have a son and they have this argument weh lead one to go jail and one to go to his grave.  I am very upset because that kid life could ah mi be saved. They could ah mi mek it happen; they were there laughing about it and lock this door with them in there and they have this fight in there.”

Andrea Polanco

“So they were fighting inside a house?”

Ann Martinez

“They were fighting inside a house apparently. The way how I understand someone idle themselves and lock the door. He si there was nowhere out so he run through the back but before he decided to run he di tek ih lick. He say, ‘ma, this lee bwai di punch mi di punch mi,’ that dah weh he tell me. In everything he decide fi run through the back and he say this bwai pick up ah two by four and start to lash he and I si the physical evidence on my son today, his hands were bruised up, his hands, his back, his teeth; so my son was defending himself at the same time.”

Andrea Polanco

“So how did he get the knife?”

Ann Martinez

“Well apparently, the understanding that I get, I nuh know if it’s a knife. He said he had something inna fi he pocket and he shub fi he hand inna fi he pocket and trying to get away he do what he have to do because he nuh got nowhere out. But before all ah that, the young bwai come out through the front door and he come out and challenged my baby, he tell ah come out yah mek wi finish it and all ah that and he went behind my son.”

Andrea Polanco

“Was your son, Paul, a friend of Raheem’s?”

Ann Martinez

“Well so far, the longest I know dah nuh somebody weh grow up. My son born and grow up deh but for the past three –four years I’ve been seeing them around.”

Andrea Polanco

“But they were familiar with each other?”

Ann Martinez

“Well, to me, yes because we nuh live far from one another.”

Andrea Polanco

“So, Ann clarify something for me; you son Paul was fighting with Raheem; he left from the yard and he returned with a weapon; is that correct?”

Ann Martinez

“No, they all know that Obeah, my son is known like that, he never went back there. All ah deh well know that Paul did not went there because the incident neva mi wah finish like that.”

Andrea Polanco

“So the stabbing happened inside the building as well?”

Ann Martinez

“Apparently the stabbing happened inside the building. It was a stab he neva expect he mi wah give dis young bwai fi kill ah. He say, ‘ma, I just mi wah get weh.”

Ann Martinez says that today marks nine days since her son was released from prison. She also told News Five that since the incident that her family has been the target of harassment.