Judge Sifts Through Witnesses In Dutch Prosecutors’ Appeal Against Jah Cure’s Attempted Murder Charge

A Netherlands judge is now hearing witnesses as Dutch prosecutors press their appeal against the acquittal of Reggae singer Jah Cure’s attempted murder charge.

In March 2022, the Jamaican singer, whose real name is Siccature Alcock, was convicted of attempted manslaughter and sentenced to six years in prison after he stabbed a Dutch concert promoter over unpaid performance fees in October 2021. The trial judges had ruled that Jah Cure’s actions were not a premeditated act of attempted murder, and he was acquitted of the more serious charge. However, following the sentence, Dutch prosecutors appealed against the acquittal of the attempted murder charge. He was remanded in January, pending a new trial.

“The process is still in the hands of the investigative judge for the hearing of witnesses. The next pro forma date is November 12,” Tuscha Essed, press officer for the Public Prosecution Service on appeal, told DancehallMag.

There is no specific order for presenting witnesses in Dutch proceedings.

Witnesses may be heard prior to initiating the legal proceedings on the merits of the case but can also be heard during the proceedings (either at the request of one of the parties or at the request of the Court).

In criminal cases, judges may decide to examine witnesses during the trial or rely on the Public Prosecution Service’s examination of witnesses during the preliminary investigation.

Jah Cure came to prominence after the release of his hit songs Longing For (2005) and Love Is (2005)—which he later admitted were recorded illegally while serving eight years in prison in Jamaica for rape—and True Reflection (Behind These Prison Walls) (2007), which was sanctioned under the prison’s “Rehabilitation Through Music” program. He was released in July 2007.

His 2015 album The Cure topped the Billboard Reggae Albums chart in its first week and copped a nomination for the Grammy Award’s Best Reggae Album in 2016. It included the songs That Girl, Rasta and Life We Live.

He’s also known for the hit songs Never Find, the John Legend cover All Of Me, That Girl, Wake Up, and What Will It Take.