SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth – It’s a question of who and what to believe. Carlton Vassell, a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) activist, alleged on Thursday that a beating “lasting about seven minutes” meted out to him by supporters of the member of parliament for north west St Elizabeth JC Hutchinson, on February 4, caused “chest pains and pains all over” his body as well as fainting spells and vomiting.

This, he said, resulted in him being admitted to the Black River Hospital on Monday. He was released on Friday. Vassell of Cameron Hill, Maggotty, claimed he was beaten because he had earlier severely criticised Hutchinson at a constituency meeting – in the presence of the JLP’s deputy leader with responsibility for Area Council Four, Dr Horace Chang, for “bad treatment” of parish councillors and his handling of the constituency.

Chang, who left the constituency meeting at the Lacovia High School before the alleged beating, told the Sunday Observer Friday that he was “monitoring” the situation.

But, while agreeing that a “provoked” supporter did hit Vassell “once” with a “metal chair”, Hutchinson is rejecting any suggestion that the incident resulted in Vassell’s eventual hospitalisation.

The MP told the Sunday Observer that it was much more likely that Vassell whom he said had behaved “very badly” at the meeting, using foul and abusive language towards him and others, had suffered serious injuries from another beating he is said to have endured in other circumstances on Saturday night in Maggotty.

Citing confidentiality rules, the Black River Hospital declined to give medical reasons for Vassell’s five-day stay.

But, Vassell told journalists on Thursday that in addition to aches and pains caused by “the beating” doctors had diagnosed a heart condition, which he theorised would have been worsened by the attack.

Whatever may have been the trigger for Vassell’s hospitalisation, the Lacovia incident has caused unease in the JLP’s hierarchy for north west St Elizabeth.

Sources say that Hutchinson has long had a rocky relationship with two of his councilors, Broderick Wright of the Lacovia Division and Evan Chen-Lyn of the Ipswich Division which was the trigger for Vassell’s verbal outburst against the MP.

Hutchinson charged Friday that he was “set up” by those who brought Vassell to the meeting. Vassell told journalists Thursday that he attended the meeting as a supporter of Chen-Lyn.

Vassell, who up to Thursday said he was yet to make a report to the police regarding the incident at Lacovia insisted nonetheless that he would be taking legal action.

He claimed that on seeing Chang and Hutchinson at the meeting, he proceeded to complain about what he considered to be the MP’s unfair treatment of councillors.

Vassell said he left the meeting to “have a drink” and when he returned an hour later he was attacked by five men he did not recognise.

“The five men approached me and attacked me with stools, chairs, sticks and start beat me all over.,” he said. He claimed others at the meeting attempted to “restrain” the men and he was eventually driven away by Chen-Lyn.

On Thursday, Vassell showed journalists bruises on his hands and neck which he claimed was caused by the attack in Lacovia.

Hutchinson confirmed that Vassell had been extremely critical of him before the start of the meeting in the presence of Chang, using “foul and abusive” language.

He claimed that after the meeting, Vassell resumed his abusive behaviour towards a “young man” who hit him with the chair.

Hutchinson said he acted quickly in getting Chen-Lyn to take him away before the incident worsened.

Chang similarly said he had witnessed Vassell’s verbal tirade.

Councillor Wright said he came on the scene in time to see Vassell being hit by a man with a “folded metal chair”.

Wright agreed that Vassell had been “loud and disruptive” but argued that “that there was nothing that warranted him being beaten”.

The Maggotty police told the Sunday Observer that they kept an “obviously intoxicated” Vassell in the station’s “holding area” overnight Saturday after he was accused of disturbing the peace in that town.

He was released next day.

The police said they have no evidence that he was beaten in Maggotty or anywhere else.

myersg@jamaicaobserver.com