Hampton principal attended court to support wife of pastor on sex charge
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Heather Murray, principal of the Hampton School in St Elizabeth, on Thursday sought to set the record straight about her presence at the bail hearing of Reverend Rupert Clarke, the Manchester-based pastor who was recently charged with rape and having sexual knowledge of a person under 16.
In a statement, the principal said she was at the bail hearing to provide moral support to the pastor’s wife, who she described as her friend.
Clarke, a longstanding minister of the Moravian Church, was on Wednesday offered bail in the sum of J$800,000 when he appeared in the St Elizabeth Parish Court.
“His wife has been my very good friend since we both attended Hampton School in the 1960s/70’s. We are both long time educators who have been serving together for many years on several boards, committees and commissions,” Murray said. “We are both Justices of the Peace.
“Such is the closeness of our relationship that when the news broke, I was naturally the first person to whom she turned for solace and support. I have not left her side since because I know that my friend needs me,” she continued. “She reached out to me as a wife, mother and friend.”
According to Murray, their bond is such that they were married a year apart and their daughters were born a day apart in the same hospital.
“My presence at the court was to be there for my friend who needed my moral support,” she said.
“As a wife, mother of two daughters and principal with responsibility for 1,220 young ladies, I have sought always to protect and defend them and the young children of Jamaica. That has not and will never change,” she insisted.
Clarke was arrested on December 28 after a motorised police patrol in the deep-rural community of Austin in Myersville, south east St Elizabeth, close to the Alpart plant in Nain, came upon a parked car in a secluded area about 9:00 pm.
Further inspection revealed the pastor and a 15-year-old girl in what the police described as a “compromising position”.
He was subsequently charged.
Investigators said last week that they were following further leads as a result of allegations that the pastor may have been involved in similar situations previously
Met …..a Desso mi de till friend go fi support …. da Oman de shouldn’t be a principal …. because u haffi know se something yu haffi avoid … as the head of a girl school she should have sat this one out
The onky moral support this woman need is the friend whey tell har fi “leave him rass” “you have time ago court”.
This wife is one who will side wid har nasty husband and principal is the one who thinks prayers will heal all things.
F**k the wife and the principal! Pastor fi get tie and drag behind a speeding jutc.
Good day Metters.
So why was she blocking cameras when his wife wasn’t even in the shot? Can she explain that? I didn’t even know she had daughters of her own so she’s even more of a disgrace. She could’ve shown support to her friend in a completely different way.
Cindy she is supporting the pastor … some friends are too good … mi wah know if her daughter told her he did that to her if she would be there …. it’s a disgrace
Dis so – called “Pastor” man ya read fe him Bible UPSIDE DOWN. Fe a big gray tone man inna him 60s, him shoulda know say that thou shalt not fukc or molest likkle children.
De ooman inna de piccha is full a shit, bout moral support. When there is NO JESUS, then there is NO PEACE, but when you KNOW JESUS, then you KNOW PEACE. Both she and her friends dem are de Devil’s advocates. Dem shoulda be ashamed of demselves!
The man likes little girls and his wife’s best friend, who we can see is extremely close, just so happens to be the principal of an all girls school!
God cover dem likkle girl dem, cause only God kno she goodly a pimp dem out over deh!
It’s abundantly not clear as to how exactly is she supporting the wife?in so much as we know it’s not like he’s pleaded innocent n Babylon a try tarnish his goodly character. …he was caught IN the ACT! Wifey is at home crying so why ain’t she at her side instead of the perpetrator?
Him wife must did know something ..no way him can.be out at dat hour …I am sure not his first time
people I just saw on the news. The wife wasn’t at the court. But that damn principal find herself there… Hmmmm
What a friend she is kmt. Gone a court fi friend husband like she a lawyer…all if a did fi me husband him woulda deh pon him own like Patti Labelle cause me know who wouldnt get out a bed bout me a go do court kmt. It is alarming that as the principal of an all girls institution she is unable or refuses to see the issue with her going to court. I support any calls for her termination.
Bet any money a dem nasty, high moral bitches that stand firm to put girls out of school because dem pregnant or the ines who fire teachers because of some archaic code of morals for young teachers. Pastta mussy did a do she too.
So apparently she had nothing to do on that day! She has girls of her own. The pastor brother molested some little boys. I am sorry friend or no friend I would not be supporting him all if is my husband. The wife didn’t go cause maybe it is not the first time and she stressed out but this lady thinks she should?! This is why our ethics are screwed! And people are confused about what’s acceptable.
imagine a hard back 64 year old man raping a 15 year old and you worried about the wife… Woman your morals are screwed up.