Jah Cure is facing an eight-year jail sentence should he be convicted for the stabbing of an Amsterdam promoter on October 1 last year.
Jah Cure is on trial for attempted manslaughter, aggravated assault, and attempted aggravated assault, and he is being represented by Dutch Attorney-at-Law, Jan-Hein Kuijpers.
In speaking in court, Jah Cure told the Judge to Google him after they said they did not know who he was.
“I got stuck with Bob Marley,” the senior Judge admitted during the hearing on Tuesday, to which Cure quipped from the Dock: “Then you should google my name, that would surprise you.”
According to Amsterdam news site Het Parool, the prosecution’s case theory was that Jah Cure’s actions prior to the stabbing showed it was premeditated, and he intended to wound and kill the promoter.
The prosecution argued that the stabbing incident was preceded by an argument over monies owed to Jah Cure in the sum of $5000 euros for a concert he performed at days before at Melkweg.
The prosecution shared several threatening messages Cure sent to the promoter Nicardo Blake.
“I’m going to jail for you, pu**yhole,” one of the texts read.
In addition, he said, “This is the n***** I have to kill,” and shortly after, he stabbed Blake, who received emergency medical attention but has since recovered from the wound.
According to the Prosecution, Blake received a “deep” stab wound of two centimeters and had to undergo major surgery.
Jah Cure, who appeared in court on Tuesday, also claimed he acted in self-defense.
According to Het Parool, the reggae singer said he was afraid of Blake, who was also armed with a knife.
“He is a real criminal. If I had waited a minute, it would have been me.”
The news site said that the promoter admitted to carrying a knife but to use it to cut “loose promotional material” at his concert.
In closing statements, the prosecution claimed that Jah Cure prompted the confrontation with the texts and voice messages sent to the victim and other mutual contacts.
According to the release, one of the messages to Blake said: “The last time you will live to diss man thing.”
Meanwhile, a prosecution witness testified that Jah Cure was seen making a stabbing motion, but he did not see a knife, only that the victim was seen after grabbing his stomach.
“The suspect picked up a knife before the meeting with the victim, not to protect himself for wearing an expensive watch,” the prosecutor told the Judge.
“These are grave crimes that not only have consequences for the personal integrity of the victim but also severely shaken the legal order. Because the victim is stabbed in broad daylight and in the busy city center of Amsterdam. It evokes feelings of unsafety among the general public”, the prosecutor said of the crime and the country which is practically free of any crime.
Jah Cure is being tried by a panel of three judges, which is customary in the Netherlands. The prosecution concluded closing arguments today, imposing on the judges that the reggae star was premeditated in his actions.
In the meantime, Jah Cure’s verdict is set for March 22, Franklin Wattimena, press officer of the Netherlands Public Prosecution, said to reporters after the trial hearing.
“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,” a statement from the prosecution read.
Jah Cure was arrested in October last year and later charged with attempted murder, as well as charges of aggravated assault or attempted aggravated assault. He has been behind bars in Amsterdam for the past six months awaiting trial for the charges, which carries years in prison in the Netherlands if convicted.
The 43-year-old reggae singer has had previous runnings with the law that may be used against him, including a previous rape conviction that saw him serving a decade in prison in Jamaica. Jah Cure famously went to prison just when his career was about to take off. He released a slew of hits while behind bars, including his now classic singles “Reflections” and “Longing For”.
In 2015, Jah Cure was arrested in Trinidad and Tobago for allegedly owing a promoter money. The following year, the singer found himself behind bars in the Bahamas for an alleged fight at a hotel.
