Mother vows that son’s death will not be in vain

The mother of ten-year-old Demarco Gibbs who died on August 18, weeks after being struck in his head with a piece of wood by peers has vowed not to leave any stones unturned as she fights for justice for her child.

A grieving Tricia Gibbs told Barbados TODAY that in the coming days her focus is on putting plans in place to ensure that Demarco receives the fitting send-off that he deserves on Saturday when he will be buried at the Westbury Cemetery, following a funeral service at the St Leonard’s Anglican Church.

However, the 40-year-old mother of six who said she has been on an emotional rollercoaster since Demarco’s death, stressed that her first order of business after her son is laid to rest is to seek assistance from legal and law enforcement services to ensure those involved in the “beating” of her son are made to feel the full brunt of the law.

“I vex because it playing on my mind. The mothers coming around me with bare junk. I ain’t doing them children nothing because I got God in my hands. But I will get a lawyer or something and deal with it,” Gibbs said.

Standing outside her Richmond Gap, St Michael home, Gibbs said while the past few weeks have been extremely difficult, hearing that there were a few people rejoicing over her son’s death has made the situation even more devastating.

“I in here studying my child every day. I aint doing good at all. Some people talking that them glad that he dead and how he should dead every since because he was a little devil.”

It was reported that Demarco endured a beating on June 14 and later received treatment for serious brain injuries at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) Intensive Care Unit (ICU) over a four-week period before being discharged.

However, Demarco’s health took a turn for the worse and he was re-admitted to the hospital on July 16 where he remained until he died.

Gibbs said what has angered her most about the situation is that a seven-year-old is being blamed for inflicting injuries on Demarco, when her son told her that it was the older boys who beat him.

“My son told me so the first day in ICU. I ain’t doing good at all because this playing on my mind. I want these 12-year-olds get charged for their actions. I want justice for my child because my child dead and them children out here and I got to bury my child. My son say he want them charged and he want justice. Before he went back in the hospital he say he want them charged. Them should be charged for my child. Them is who do the damages.”

She said throughout her ordeal, the seven-year-old boy’s mother has been at her side, offering her support. Gibbs said it is now hurting her to see that the incident has taken an emotional toll on the seven-year-old who is being blamed, resulting in his mother having to seek counselling for him.

“Police need to get the three big ones and let them talk the truth. It could never be a seven-year-old little boy that do that damage. All of them blaming the little boy,” she said.

Gibbs said eating and sleeping are proving to be difficult tasks for her to accomplish at this time, because she is occupied almost every moment of the day reflecting on Demarco’s sharing and caring personality.

“You see when the doctors say he gone, I start freaking out and jumping up on the bed. I lay down on the bed and cover up with my son and was squeezing he and saying ‘fight Demarco fight’. I was kissing he. I tell the doctors he ain’t dead and all of the nurses was crying,” said Gibbs, noting that even hours after Demarco passed it was difficult for her to acknowledge he was gone,” she said.

The sorrowing mother also said she was aware that there are persons seeking to solicit monetary donations to assist with Demarco’s funeral and burial expenses.

“I am Demarco’s mother and I ain’t out there begging nobody for donations to bury my son, but I getting help that I thankful for. People need to stop using my child’s name to get money out of people.”

An attorney-at-law who spoke to Barbados TODAY on condition of anonymity suggested that it might be convenient for persons involved to apportion blame to a seven-year-old since a child at that tender age did not meet the requirement for the age of discretion for someone to be held culpable for murder. He also noted that investigators might have an issue with causation since after sustaining the injury and being hospitalised, Demarco was subsequently discharged and spent a week and three days home before being readmitted. He said any defence counsel was likely to use that break in time to question causation as it related to the youth’s death.

Police are still investigating the matter. (anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)