GRANGE HILL, Westmoreland — One day after the conclusion of a court case in which he was a witness, a bike taxi operator was gunned down in Westmoreland’s Grange Hill Square. The dead man is 31-year-old Odean “Didblack” Smith from Kings Valley.

According to Jamaica Observer sources, Smith was sitting on his bike when a car approached, two men got out and shot him multiple times to his upper body. The shots forced his body backwards, and he ended up slumped on his motorcycle. The shooters left the scene in the waiting vehicle which later crashed. One of its doors fell off, but that was not enough to disable the vehicle which kept going with the shooters on board.

Smith was later taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A resident, who did not want to be identified by name, told the Observer that Smith and a man had an altercation in 2018.

“He sold a lady crab, but she was suppose to get two more. Him tell har when him go back to crab bush she would get them,” the source said.

The source said the woman complained to her partner who later got into a fight with Smith.

Smith’s house was later gutted by fire and the matter went to court.

There have long been calls for greater reliance on dispute resolution to solve grievances. In his May 4 contribution to the sectoral debate, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck once again urged greater use of the alternative dispute resolution services offered by the State.

“Many serious crimes emerge from simple disputes and disagreements which could have been easily cleared up if the parties were referred to a restorative justice facilitator, a mediator, or a counsellor to assist them in reaching an amicable settlement,” he said then.