Doubts have been raised about whether a young man from Ocho Rios, held for rape and sexual assaultof two tourists in Montego Bay, committed the crime he is accused of.
Although not charged, the name of Demar Scott has emerged and has been used widely in media reports as having raped a tourist and that he was about to rape another at the Riu Reggae hotel in Montego Bay, St James.
In police custody is Demar Scott, 33, coordinator trainee, of Content Gardens, Ocho Rios, St Ann.
Scott was picked up at the May Pen Hospital where he had gone to get treatment following an incident at the hotel in Montego Bay when he was shot.
Mr Scott was in hospital under police guard at the weekend. He has denied to police that he raped the women.
But questions are being asked, about why he went through so much apparent trouble to seek care at May Pen, Clarendon, as opposed to hospitals so much nearer – such as Cornwall Regional, St Ann’s Bay and Spanish Town – if he was innocent .
THE GUN
Here is what we know: On Thursday evening Scott was in the room of two women at the hotel in Montego Bay. The women are in their mid thirties and are in allied medical field. Both are from Detroit, Michigan. Scott got there by entering from the balcony of the hotel. Scott had been employed there only a few days earlier as an entertainment coordinator.
It is alleged that somewhere around 9 o’clock he had raped one of the two women and had forced the other to engage in oral sex with him and then was turning to rape the second, when one of the women wrestled from him the gun he had.
The woman then allegedly fired two shots into Scott’s upper body. He fled the way he had come, jumping more than 12 feet to the ground floor and escaped.
However, doubts have emerged about that account, especially about whether he was involved in forcing himself on them. Also investigators did find a bullet hole in the wall in the hotel room but there was very little blood in the room.
Further, reports from sources say, Scott suggested that he was with the women by consent and that they were involved in a threesome. They were interrupted by a hotel guest with whom they were all acquainted and with whom they were hanging out. It is believed the man is a Jamaican. He is a licenced firearm holder and his gun was used to shoot Scott. There are reports that the gun had been stolen but police have not confirmed any such report. It is reported that he demanded to get in on the act and there was an altercation when Scott was shot.
ESCAPE
Scott ran from the room, contacted a family member and reportedly concocted a story for the purposes of the hospital he was to be taken — that he had been held up and shot by a gunman. He was taken to the May Pen hospital where police were alerted.
By that time, police had put out information that Scott was a Person of Interest in an ongoing investigation.
There were issues too with Scott’s version of events, especially how he came to know the women so well in three days at the hotel.
A statement from the hotel said:“Last (Thursday) night, September 27, there was a very unfortunate incident in the Riu Reggae Hotel in which two guests were attacked by a trainee at the entertainment department of the hotel. The man, who had been in training for only three days, was able to escape.”
“The hotel management immediately called the police and accompanied and supported the guests with everything in this difficult moment,” the hotel added.
The hotel declined to give details: “We are unable to share further details both for the protection of our clients privacy as well as to not interfere in the investigation being already carried out by the local authorities.”
WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT ROOM?
Issues with the investigation
Here are some issues police sources say will arise in the investigation of what happened on Thursday night, September 27, in that hotel room at Riu Reggae Hotel, Montego Bay:
Riu is full of cameras and has a tight security system. The cameras will be able to help police determine how Scott got access to the room though it won’t show what happened there.
Whether police had the full cooperation of the two women, and were also able to interview the licenced firearm holder is crucial to the investigation. If he claims he lost his gun, when did he lose it? Were the hands of the women swabbed to determine if either fired the gun? Since a bullet was found in the wall, does its location match the trajectory of where the shooting allegedly took place.
Is any member of staff able to say whether s/he saw these two women or either of them with Scott at anytime.
Forensics might pose some problems because Scott is not saying he did not have sexual intercourse with one of the women. He is saying it was consensual, hence there would be body fluids there.
