SHELDON WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter

There are conflicting accounts of where an inmate at the Half-Way Tree lock-up actually died last Sunday with a source close to the deceased claiming he died in his jail cell while the police maintain that the man died in the hospital.

Up to press time last night, the dead man had only been identified as L Shepherd.

Information reaching THE WEEKEND STAR suggests that the deceased, who was diabetic, had exhausted his insulin days before his demise and died as a result of the deprivation of his medicine.

The source told our news team that, "From when the man a tell them seh him fi go a hospital and dem never act til the man drop down pon dem Sunday".

It is further being alleged that Shepherd was brought to the hospital under the pretence that he was still alive although he had died from inside his cell.

All efforts to contact the head of the St Andrew Central Police Division, Senior Superintendent Derrick Knight, proved futile as calls to his cell phones went unanswered.

However, the sub-officer on duty, while refusing to provide details to our enquiry, did emphasise that the man did not die in custody.

"What you're saying is not correct but I am not able to shed any light on it right now," she commented.

Similarly, the Constabulary Communication Network told our news team that the inmate did not die in custody, but met his demise in hospital where he had been hospitalised for days.

THE WEEKEND STAR was instructed to make contact with the deceased family for comment.