Jah Cure Sentenced To Six Years In Dutch Prison For Stabbing Promoter
Jah Cure has been sentenced to six years in a Netherlands prison for attempted manslaughter after reportedly stabbing an event promoter.
The Netherlands Public Prosecution Service confirmed that the Reggae singer, whose real name is Siccature Alcock, has been sentenced to six years in prison, with credit for time served in the custody of Dutch law enforcement, for attempted manslaughter, in relation to an alleged stabbing incident last year.
Jah Cure was found not guilty of attempted murder, according to Dutch persecutor. However, the “Prison Walls” singer's claim of self-defense was rejected by the court.
Jah Cure was arrested in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on October 1st of last year after stabbing show promoter Nicardo “Papa” Blake in the stomach, and has been held in a Dutch prison since.
Blake, whose Roots Vibes Promotion stages reggae shows in the Netherlands, was reportedly hospitalized after allegedly sustaining injuries to the abdomen.
The incident took place at Dam Square, in the city center of Amsterdam, where Jah Cure had been booked for an appearance.
Two days prior, Jah Cure had performed at Blake's concert in the Melkweg. However, the “What Will It Take” singer had not been paid his performance fee of 5,000 euros.
Jah Cure appeared before a panel of three judges on March 8 to answer charges of attempted manslaughter, aggravated assault or attempted aggravated assault.
After hearing witness accounts, viewing CCTV footage, and reviewing voice messages purportedly made by the “True Reflections” singer to the victim, the Dutch court reached its decision.
The Jamaican entertainer was sentenced on March 22, shortly after he was found guilty of attempted manslaughter.
The sentence is less than what the prosecution had originally requested.
“The prosecutor has asked the court to convict the 43-year-old reggae singer for attempted murder, and that the suspect should be put away for eight years with credit for time served,” according to a statement released by the Dutch government on March 8.
The Netherlands court dismissed Jah Cure's claim that his acts were in “self-defense,” and that he had taken up a knife before meeting with the victim, not to stab the victim, but to protect himself since he was wearing an expensive watch. However, it ruled that he was not guilty of premeditated attempted murder as he claimed.
The court today [March 22] described the incident as an “apparently fairly trivial conflict” that Jah Cure “blew up and escalated,” according to online newspaper Nu.nl.
“There is still too little evidence for a preconceived plan to take the victim's life,” one judge said, according to De Telegraaf newspaper.
The publication also noted that “the judge ruled that such a stabbing incident in broad daylight in a busy place such as Dam Square does give the victim and society a great sense of insecurity.”
If Jah Cure disagrees with the court's ruling, he has the right to appeal to the Court of Appeal within two weeks.
“Both the 43-year old man and the prosecutor can appeal to the Court of Appeal within two weeks if they disagree with the court's ruling,” the Dutch press officer told media reporters.
Jah Cure's time in prison will not be his first.
He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 1999 for raping and robbing a woman at gunpoint. He was released after serving 8 years.
During the last leg of his sentence, the singer's popularity soared following the release of hit songs like “Longing For,” and “Love Is,” which he admitted were illegally recorded, and “True Reflection (Prison Walls), which was sanctioned under the prison's Rehabilitation Through Music program.
Jah Cure is also known for the hit songs such as “Never Find,” “Unconditional Love,” “Call On Me” and a cover version of John Legend's smash hit “All Of Me.”
He was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2015 for his album The Cure, which featured the songs “That Girl,” “Rasta,” and “Life We Live.”
In September 2021, just before his arrest, he announced that he was finishing up a new album titled “Undeniable.”
