ST JAMES, Jamaica — Attorney-at-law Michelle Thomas who is representing Rushane Patterson, who has been named a person of interest in the death of social media influencer Aneka ‘Slickianna’ Townsend, says she is being threatened. She said the threats are being made on social media.

“I have to be watching my back because they are saying that they want to beat me and gang me to fight me off,” Thomas revealed to OBSERVER ONLINE.

She expressed concern at what appears to be a developing trend where attorneys involved in high profile cases are being threatened or spoken of in a disparaging way.

“I am saying that the public needs to stop. The public needs to be educated that everybody’s constitutional rights must be respected and it doesn’t mean that because I am a woman I should not have taken this case,” said Thomas.

“I am most disappointed in the people of my country. In any modern society, attorneys are not targeted for being a legal representative for someone who has been alleged to have done something. Now mi targeted,” she added.

She urged the public to remember that Patterson is still merely a person of interest in connection with the Townsend matter.

“Remember, this man is not charged. He has not appeared before a judge and was found guilty. There is nothing to say categorically without a shadow of a doubt that this person is guilty. But yet still, the court of public opinion found him guilty, want him dead and then waan hate the lawyer who is simply doing her job,” argued Thomas.

“I am saying, how do we reach now in a society where people are going to hate the lawyer. Mi neva kill Slickianna,” she said.

She sought to make her point by questioning whether her critics would also say Patterson should not benefit from the services of other professionals.

“If something happens to Mr Patterson and he ends up at the hospital, the doctor should say, ‘Oh, because you have been alleged to have done something we are not going to tend to your wounds?’” argued Thomas.

Patterson who is also known as Chizzie and is from Prospect district in Hanover, was named as a person of interest on October 22. This was a day after the body of the 35-year-old Kingston woman was retrieved from the sea in Reading, St James. She was later positively identified by family members.

On Wednesday, Patterson was slapped with abduction and assault charges in connection with an incident that took place, in 2018, between himself and a woman alleged to be his girlfriend.