No Official Release Date For Jah Cure
Fans of Jah Cure still have no idea when the Reggae singer could be released from a Dutch jail because there is no “irrevocable verdict” yet in his case. His lawyer has appealed the attempted manslaughter conviction he received in 2022, while the prosecution has appealed against his acquittal on the more serious charge of attempted murder.
“Mr. Alcock has been convicted to a six-year sentence in March 2022 for attempted manslaughter and is currently awaiting his appeal case. Therefore there’s no irrevocable verdict yet. The prosecution in general won’t communicate the exact date once someone finishes their irrevocable sentence but in this case you’ll understand that the suspect is still in pre-trial detention while awaiting the handling of the appeal,” Tuscha Essed, press officer for the Public Prosecution Service on appeal, told DancehallMag.
“Every 90 days, a judge verifies whether that pre-trial detention is still justified (during pro forma hearings). The judge considers several stakes when making this decision: the suspicions and the societal impact of those, the interest of the investigation and also the risks of reoffending or fleeing the suspect’s country and/or personal circumstances.
Jah Cure’s next pro forma hearing will be November 12.
“Once an irrevocable verdict has been reached usually the pre-trial detention is deducted from any prison time given at sentencing. In case of acquittal or a lower sentence to the point where the pre-trial detention has exceeded the length of the irrevocable verdict, the acquitted/convicted can file for financial compensation,” Essed said.
Cure, 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.
A Netherlands judge is now hearing witnesses as Dutch prosecutors press their appeal against the acquittal of the Unconditional Love singer’s attempted murder charge.
“At this point there’s no updates, the ball is still in the court of the investigative judge, and there’s no date for the substantive hearing of the case yet,” Essed said.