Reggae crooner Jah Cure was ordered to remain in custody as he awaits his appeal hearing. The artist was sentenced to six years in prison for the attempted manslaughter of a Dutch promoter last year.
He appeared before a judge for a pre-court appeal hearing but was ordered remanded to jail until January 24, 2023. Jah Cure’s pro forma hearing is a part of Dutch court procedure ahead of court appeal hearings, the Jamaica Observer reported on Tuesday.
The Netherlands Public Prosecution Office said that the hearing was routine and nothing new or different as it is often conducted to extend the court’s right to hold a suspect while he awaits his hearing. The “pro forma” hearing is conducted while Cure awaits a date for his court appeal hearing.
The artist is appealing his sentence on several grounds, including that the sentence is excessive and that the judge failed to take into consideration the fact that his claim of self-defense was not allegedly properly considered.
Jah Cure was sentenced in March 2022 for attempted manslaughter of the promoter, whom he claimed did not pay him and even threatened him with violence over the unpaid money. The reggae crooner was brought to the country to perform at a Reggae concert at the end of summer last year while he was on his European tour.
Jah Cure was initially charged with attempted murder and attempted manslaughter. He was acquitted of the first charge during his trial. However, Dutch prosecutors have also appealed the case and want Cure found guilty of attempted murder.
A date for the court appeal hearing has not been decided as yet. In the meantime, Cure, who turned 44 years old in prison, is well known for hit songs like “True Reflection (Prison Walls),” which he recorded after he returned from jail. The artist was serving a 15-year prison sentence for which he was convicted in 1999, but he was later released on a shortened sentence in 2007 due to good behavior.
Jah Cure has one daughter.
