Jah Cure ‘Longing For’ His Freedom

Reggae artist Jah Cure is slated to return to court tomorrow as his criminal trial involving attempted murder charges is set to begin.

“We don’t have any updates. The trial is still scheduled for March 8th,” press officer Franklin Wattimena told DancehallMag via email.

Jah Cure, whose given name is Siccaturie Alcock, is facing attempted murder, attempted manslaughter, aggravated assault or attempted aggravated assault in relation to an alleged stabbing incident last year.

The incident involved event promoter Nicardo ‘Papa’ Blake on October 1 at Dam Square, in the city centre of Amsterdam, where the Longing For singer was booked for a performance. He has since secured legal counsel but could face as much as 15 years if convicted.

Jan-Hein Kuijpers, the Dutch attorney-at-law representing Jah Cure, had said he would be presenting a self-defense case on his Jamaican client’s behalf.

“Mr Alcock is waiting for his trial because he wants to clear his name… Mr Alcock testified in detail what happened, and for him it was a clear self-defence situation,” Kuijpers had said. “Witnesses have to be interrogated.”

“In the meantime, he is trying to make the best of it… He is a powerful man,” he added.

Cure has had previous run-ins with the law including for the illegal possession of a firearm, rape and robbery with aggravation, of which he was convicted and received a 15-year sentence in 1999. He became a star in prison and was released early in 2007 after serving eight years.

Jah Cure is known for songs including Longing For, Call On Me, and Unconditional Love.