A domestic dispute between a father and his teenage son ended in tragedy on Tuesday afternoon in the quiet farming community of Mountainside, St Elizabeth.
Dead is 53-year-old farmer Gary Allwood, who was reportedly attacked and fatally stabbed over 30 times inside his home by his 19-year-old son, said to be struggling with mental health challenges. The teen is currently in police custody as investigations continue.
According to reports, sometime after 1 p.m., an argument broke out at their residence after Allwood allegedly instructed his son to take prescribed medication. A resident shared that when the teenager was apprehended, he reportedly told police that his father’s insistence on taking the medication angered him.
The medication had reportedly been issued recently following medical consultations aimed at addressing the teen’s condition. Residents also indicated that he had undergone treatment in recent weeks, including receiving injections.
Community members described Allwood as a humble and caring individual who did his best to support his children. They also noted that the teenager had been experiencing noticeable behavioural changes in recent times.
It is further understood that the young man had recently undergone testing in hopes of joining the police force, but with no progress since then, he allegedly became increasingly frustrated and, at times, blamed his father.
On the day of the incident, the teen was reportedly using scissors to cut marijuana when the situation escalated. In what is believed to be a fit of rage, he allegedly turned the scissors on his father, stabbing him multiple times before reportedly arming himself with a knife and continuing the attack.
Residents raised an alarm and rushed to the home, where they found Allwood lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen. The shocking discovery quickly drew a crowd as news spread throughout the community.
“When we got there, we saw him lying motionless on the floor. It was a very disturbing scene. Everyone was in shock,” one resident said.
Allwood was pronounced dead at the scene, and his body was later transported to the morgue. The incident has sparked renewed concern about mental health support in rural communities, where access to consistent care and monitoring is often limited.
Residents are now calling for greater attention to the issue, stressing the need for improved resources and intervention before situations escalate. Police say investigations are ongoing as they work to determine the full circumstances surrounding the fatal incident.