BY ALICIA SUTHERLAND

Observer staff reporter

sutherlanda@jamaicaobserver.com

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The Manchester police say that a student of the Holmwood Technical High School who allegedly stabbed one of his schoolmates, resulting in his death in hospital on Saturday, will be charged for the crime this week.

Dead is 16-year-old Stephan Hanson of Bloomfield Street in Mandeville.

According to the police, the two students had a dispute in the town of Mandeville on Friday when Hanson was stabbed. He was taken to hospital where he died Saturday.

Stephen Hanson, father of the deceased, told the Jamaica Observer that he learnt that his son was on the scene, but it was a friend of his who was involved in a dispute with another student, allegedly over a girl, when a knife was brought into play and his son stabbed.

“He was just there. He was not trying to part them,” said the elder Hanson.

Yesterday, Hanson said the family was yet to break the news of his son’s death to his 99-year-old grandmother who had assisted in raising him. He said that she had noticed that he was not home and had asked for him but the family decided to let her pastor deliver the tragic news. “Wi nuh waan the two funeral,” he said.

Hanson said that as a “straightforward Christian” one of the lessons that his great-grandmother reinforced to him daily was to stay away from trouble. “‘If no pickney ah fight don’t get into it’,” he said were her words to him before he leaves the house.

Hanson, who described his son as “calm” and “quiet”, and said that, in conversation with Holmwood Principal Paul Bailey, the only indiscretion on his school record was that his pants was tighter than is allowed by the school rules.

“Everybody mash down right now. Even if dem give di (accused) 100 years in prison, him (son) can’t come back to me,” he said.

Superintendent of the Manchester Police Division Melvin Brown said that, in addition to charging the accused student, the police would be helping to provide some support through counselling to the two families.

The Holmwood school family is no stranger to tragedy involving students.

Serious accidents over the years with motor vehicles taking students to and from school prompted the move for a school bus system that is now in place.

Also, late last year 19-year-old footballer Jevaughn Daley died after falling ill during a practice match in the summer.