Brazen attack by knife-wielding women
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) award-winning western-based journalist Alan Lewin is overwhelmed by the strong outpouring of love and support he received while in the Falmouth Public General Hospital in Trelawny recently.
Lewin was admitted for treatment to multiple stab wounds allegedly inflicted upon him by three women.
“I never knew that I was so loved by the people. I am especially appreciative of members of the media fraternity who supported me while I was in hospital,” Lewin told the Jamaica Observer West yesterday.
The veteran journalist said he thought he wouldn’t have survived the vicious attack by the knife-wielding female trio.
“I didn’t believe I would make it, and I am thankful that I am still alive,” said Lewin, who entered the field of journalism more than 25 years ago.
He recounted that on Saturday, June 1, after leaving the Jamaica Festival Song Road Show in Sam Sharpe, Montego Bay, he went to a popular eatery in the city when, at about 10:00 pm, he received a call from a female to meet her.
Upon reaching the location, Lewin recalled that he was pounced upon by the caller and two other female accomplices who began to inflict multiple stab wounds all over his body.
He collapsed and was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, but was later transferred to Falmouth.
He reflected that prior to the vicious attack the woman who called him accused him of holding her sister hostage.
“She ordered me to sit in the corner, after which she started to unleash a string of expletives and asked me what I was doing with her sister around my house,” he related.
Lewin said he denied knowing his attacker’s sister, nor the telephone number which they claimed to be his, from which the alleged missing woman made a call. The denial, he said, only served to rile up the female group.
“She showed me the number which started with 407 and my number is a 476 number. So, I said that is not my number, at which point she boxed me,” Lewin recalled.
Following that, Lewin said, two of the women brandished knives which they used to stab him in his head, chest and side, while the third joined in and started to rain blows on him.
He collapsed and fell from the step at the court house building.
He said he called out for help and was rescued and taken to hospital.
The matter has since been reported to the police and detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigation Branch in Montego Bay are probing the matter.
In 2008 Lewin, who was at that time on staff at the Jamaica Observer, won the PAJ award for Human Interest Photography.
He is currently a freelance photographer and will be among four veteran journalists who will be honoured at Reggae Sumfest next month.