�Ӱ��԰�

Fearing she would be forced out of a government-owned property by powerful figures in her community, a St Andrew woman turned to the spiritual realm, casting what she calls "compelling spells" using dragon blood ink, parchment paper, and vials to 'bury' several members of a family beneath a staircase.

The woman, Jill*, said she cast "compelling spells" on the persons to "leave the house at [address redacted] alone".

The other person on whom she cast a spell was her son's girlfriend "compelling you not to marry" her son.

"Mi did have a son, who did have a woman, who never like mi, and dem did a guh married. Mi never want dem married. Mi can't have a daughter-in-law weh nuh like mi," the woman said barefacedly.

The wedding, she said, didn't take place.

Her true motivation, however, was to keep control of the house at the centre of the saga.

Workmen rebuilding a broken staircase in Torrington Park made the chilling discovery of the buried names, sealed in vials last Thursday. With the find, persons glanced hesitantly at Jill, and many accused her of using witchcraft to torment an entire family. Yet, despite their bold claims, none dared confront her directly.

Jill, however, had no problem owning up to her actions, when THE STAR quizzed her about the bizarre claims. She confessed to burying the names of a number of persons after consulting a spiritualist.

The practice of burying names is associated with obeah, and is used to cast spells on individuals. Jill said she buried the names of the persons for her own protection.

"One ting wid mi, once mi do summen, mi nah fraid to say mi dweet, but the question is why mi dweet. There must be a reason and is a house cause the problem," Jill said.

Jill explained that the residence once belonged to a man known as 'Blacka Douche', but after his passing, a family she said had no legal right to the property moved in for a time before leaving. But that brought problems.

"Dem did have to run weh because of the war, so when dem run away people vandalised the house, because dem never want dem back there. Mi did want one house fi rent so mi link who did live there, and dem tell mi seh mi have to go fix it and mi agree to do it," she said.

She further claimed she offered the property for a price of $300,000 and was ready to purchase, but insisted on seeing proper documentation first.

"Mi end up go up a [Ministry of] Housing, because mi want the paper dem, and dem tell mi not to pay any rent or buy it because is the government own the house. Dem give mi a paper that say it is the property of the government and dem grant mi permission to live deh," she said.

Jill said this did not sit well with a particular family and other men from the community. She claimed one man, whose name was among those found in the vials, issued a violent threat.

"Him come a mi house and tell mi seh mi must come out because when him come back, a shoot him a go shoot mi. Him say if mi tink mi bad mi must go over Admiral Town Police Station, and tru mi did bad, mi go," she said defiantly.

Fearing for her safety, a friend encouraged Jill to seek spiritual help.

"Mi go where mi fi go and di person give mi advice on what I should buy and do. It never cost mi nutten much, and mi buy controlling oil and get the piece of paper, and mi use dragon blood ink and write the name and bury it," she said.

"Mi buy it at a drug store and mi write the names and put the paper in the vial bottles and bury it. Shortly after, everybody just stop bother mi," she said.

When the vials were unearthed on Thursday, Jill stood by and watched the commotion unfold. She was bemused.

"They were so brave to open the container because mi know mi never did a guh open it. Suppose when dem open it dem did drop down?

"Mi nah see no bottle and open it. Mi tell dem say a mi dweet and why mi do it, and some of who live down here know say di people dem did a bad people, so mi have to protect mi self," she said.

Though she faced verbal abuse after the vials were planted, Jill said she has not received any new threats. She firmly denied claims that her spiritual actions were linked to the deaths of seven members of the particular family over the last five years.

"People dead, yes, but mi don't have nutten fi do wid dat. Some sick and dead, some get killed. Mi never do anything to kill anyone. Mi just did wah get dem off mi back," she said.

*Name changed to protect identity