Sasha-Gay Lobban
The father of three-year-old Crystal Coleman, who was found dead at her home, battered, is claiming that the child had a tendency to jump on the bed and she may have fallen and hit her head.This was the claim made by attorney-at-law Richard Harris, who is representing Dwight Coleman, charged with the murder of his daughter, Crystal Coleman of Frontier District, Port Maria, St Mary. She was found dead on Wednesday, January 21, at the home where she lived with her father. An autopsy last week revealed that Crystal died from multiple injuries to her head, groin area, buttocks, back and feet.When the accused, Dwight Coleman appeared in the Port Maria Resident Magistrate Court on Thursday, February 5, his attorney said Mr Coleman maintained that Crystal often jumped on the bed and may have fallen and sustained injuries to the head. However,Mr Richards did not offer any explanation on how Crystal received injuries to other parts of her body, “I do not have the forensic report and as a result I cannot offer any substantial report based on what my client said. Most of my information, I got from the media. After the forensic report, I can provide an analysis on what may have happened. But the injuries to the child’s head is synonymous with what my client has been saying that she jumped and fell off the bed,” Mr Richards said. A bail application was made for Coleman but it was denied.Crystal’s mother Taniesha Roberts, who lives in Old Harbour, St Catherine and had not seen Crystal between April last year and up to the time of her death last month, was at the House of Tranquillity where the post mortem took place last week, Tuesday, February 3.Ms Roberts told the North Coast Times that the child’s body showed signs of being badly beaten. She alleged the child died from a beating.“Mi nuh know a wah she coulda do so fi him beat her so bad,” Ms Roberts said.Ms Roberts still cannot provide any details on how little Crystal was in the care of her father, without attending school since April last year. “Mi cyah tell yuh wah happen. Mi just nuh know. Mi only did talk to Crystal over the phone,” she said. Crystal will be laid to rest on Sunday, February 15. The service is to be held at the Spring Village, Seventh Day Adventist Church in Old Harbour, St Catherine.
