FULL STORY:Chef shot dead

Wayne Cumberbatch holding his wife Jacinth, who broke down in tears when she arrived on the scene where their son was murdered. (Picture by Nigel Browne.)

Wayne Cumberbatch, father of the deceased, and a former police scene-of-crime officer, could not hold back the tears as he sat next to Simone Lovell, the mother of his son’s two year-old child. (Picture by Nigel Browne.)

Alviena Powers with her boyfriend Kari Cumberbatch who was gunned down yesterday. The picture was taken on Old Year’s Night. (Picture by Sharon Harding.)

By Maria Bradshaw | Thu, January 17, 2013 - 1:17 PM

Thirty-three-year-old Kari Cumberbatch, a line chef at the upscale CinCin By The Sea Restaurant at Prospect, St James, was gunned down yesterday morning in the restaurant’s car park while dropping off his girlfriend to work.

Reports indicate that Cumberbatch, who was involved in a relationship with lunch manager Alviena Powers, was shot in the head by a man, who also threatened a staff member with the gun and dragged Powers out of the restaurant.

Powers was yesterday being treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for a wound to the head and was expected to be discharged.

An employee at the restaurant told the DAILY NATION that Cumberbatch was dropping Powers off to work around 10 a.m. when they were approached by a man as soon as he parked his car.

“One of the workers heard a commotion outside and went out there and told him ‘why you don’t leave them alone’; he pointed the gun at him and told him ‘if you know what is good for you, you will step back’.”
The woman said the employee ran back into the restaurant and alerted the other staff members about what had taken place.

“We all ran upstairs and Alviena ran into the restaurant screaming with the man behind her. I understand that he pointed the gun at her but it did not go off. He then locked off her neck, dragged her outside and took her away in a car.”

The employee said that on Wednesday the same man had been on the compound “harassing” Powers.

Family members of the deceased soon gathered at the scene and broke down at the sight of his body slumped over in the small red car, the seat belt still on.

Father Wayne Cumberbatch, a former police scenes-of-crime officer, could not hold back the tears as he spoke about his son who resided at their home at Fairview Heights, St George.

“My son was a very nice boy. I cannot believe this has happened. Today is my father’s 96th birthday and I called him in England this morning to wish him happy birthday but I could not tell him
that Kari was dead,” he cried.

His wife Jacinth, a senior primary school teacher, also broke down and her family doctor had to be summoned. The couple also has two daughters.

Simone Lovell, the mother of Cumberbatch’s two year-old child, was also on the scene with family members.

Management at CinCin yesterday issued a statement expressing condolences to the family of the deceased.

“It is with a sense of sorrow that we express utmost regret at the senseless curtailing of a young life in the car park of our Prospect, St James restaurant. The situation has impacted us all and our staff will be undergoing counselling prior to our reopening. The tragic events of Wednesday, January 16th, 2013, will remain with us forever, as will our fond memories of Kari – a father, a son and a talented chef
with a bright future,” the statement read.

Both Powers and Cumberbatch joined the restaurant in 2011.

Police public relations officer Inspector David Welch said a man was in custody assisting police with their investigations.

He stated that Powers’ injury was not gun related but said he could not say where she was taken by her attacker. He however disclosed that she was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

It is understood that the assailant is a well known taxi driver.

mariabradshaw@nationnews.com

Please read the full story in today’s DAILY NATION, or in the eNATION edition.

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Posted by vivij charlie 4 months ago: wow.....my condolences......just walk away....PLEASE!!!!.....

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Posted by Mary Yearwood 4 months ago: I am really sad just looking at Mr. Cumberbatch. I hope they will all heal soon. But it won't be so easy, as his son lived with him. We all express our condolences.

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Posted by Sol Fish 4 months ago: Why do these sick individuals go around believing that a woman's body or love is their property, and she doesn't have the right to love no other, these sick people are perfect candidates for the death penalty or life imprisonment without ever seeing the outside world again. Each year women's organizations try their best to stamp out violence against women, who chooses to end these obsessive relationships, my attitude to these men is simple, get help, refuse to love if you cant deal with it, kill yourself, leave the woman alone, because when you kill her new lover, you will spend serious time in prison and now she will have any man she wants, and you will have any man you want or wants you in prison. I'm curious, what's the benefits of loving or trying to control a woman or man, who no longer loves or wants you any longer. Open your eyes men and women, cut the nonsense, learn to let go, there is life after love, you don't have the right to take another's life just because the one you claim to love, no longer loves you.

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Posted by Tony Waterman 4 months ago: @ vivij charlie!!Excuse me!!! he was about to DRIVE away, but was shot in the DRIVERS SEAT
@Mary Yearwood!!! Would it have been any Better or Worse if he was not living with his father????
@everyone out there, take to heart what my LATE Mother always DRILLED into me and My Siblings, ""Don't run after a Woman/Man they are like a BUS another one always come along""
MY CONDOLENCES GO OUT TO THE FAMILY OF THE DECEASED,MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS AND KEEP THEM ALL

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Posted by Bim Bum 4 months ago: If you love something, set it free.

If it comes back, it's yours.
If it doesn't, it never was yours.

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Posted by Mary Yearwood 4 months ago: Well, Mr. Waterman, since you are the self-designated police of the blog, I will answer your charge. When I responded to this unfortunate incident, I put my comment under the photo of a grieving father sitting on the sidewalk with a woman sitting next to him, and before seeing the other photos, since I didn't click on them. I did not mean to exclude the mother of the deceased or anyone else. I'm not that insensitive. Am I all clear now sir?

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Posted by Melly Mapp 4 months ago: One picture says a thousand words and in this picture, I see pain and disbelief at the lost of a son who from all indications, had much to live for. As a former police scene of crime officer, I know very well that Mr. Cumberbatch has seen his share of pain and tragedy but when it hits closer to home, it becomes a more significant lost and jolting experience.

In regard to these senseless crimes, they have no boundaries as to where you are as is evident in this case. A high class restaurant but a crime of this nature still occurred. One can speculate as to the reason, but it maybe just the time the government take another look as the President of the United States has done on the increasing use of guns in crimes. Making the owning of guns much harder even with much harsher penalties as a deterrent.

As a former police officer myself, who have met Mr. Cumberbatch, my wife and I send my sincere condolences to the family in the tragic and senseless lost a son.

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Posted by Kenneth King 4 months ago: This is really a sad day again in Barbados because of these fire arms, this way of thinking you are in control as long as you posses this fire are but it only shows stupidity, ignorance, lack of control and disrespectful of the Laws pertaining to such weapons. I have no idea what caused the death of this young man but this is not the way to deal with one's anger, now you will spend years in prison with no freedom to do whatever you want; was it worth it and to bring your family to shame. Where are all these guns coming from on the island; we need answers as to how our ports are managed.
My condolences to the Cumberbatch family and to those affected by this tragic death.