By BARBARA GAYLE, Staff Reporter

The mother of the three children who were fatally stabbed at Kilancholly, St. Mary, in January 2005, 'got in spirit' and began talking 'in tongues' in court yesterday.

Some prosecutors tried to calm her and she subsequently left the courtroom. She wept and continued speaking in tongues outside the courtroom. She was consoled by two prosecutors.

The mother of the deceased had attended court to hear the jury's verdict as to whether 31-year-old security guard Jeffrey Perry, who is accused of murdering them, was fit to plead.

Psychiatrist Dr. Herbert Wieder, who testified for the defence, had said on Monday that Perry was not fit to plead. He said Perry suffered from hallucinations and delusions of "Satan and God battling for control of his mind and sometimes God loses." He said Perry told him that he was commanded by God to kill the children.

Psychiatrists Dr. Terrence Bernard and Arlene McGill testified that they examined Perry and he was fit to plead and to follow the proceedings at his trial.

The seven-member jury retired for 30 minutes yesterday and found that Perry was fit to plead.

He is to be assigned a new lawyer because his lawyers withdrew from the case on the basis that they were unable to get instructions from Perry for the preparation of his defence. Perry, who is in custody, is to return to the Home Circuit Court on February 2.

It is being alleged that Perry, who is a cousin of the children, fatally stabbed them on January 28, 2005. The deceased are 15-year-old Dwane Davidson, 13-year-old Sue Ann Gordon and four-year-old Shadice Williams.