Marking one more tragic chapter in the life and death of Danielle Rowe, her mother Sudene Mason, and other relatives were visibly incensed at the proceedings before storming out of the service at the Portmore Seventh Day Adventist Church on Sunday, July 23.

According to sources, the drama began when a Jamaican flag draping the casket, stained with what appeared to be red paint, and a picture of Rowe on a T-shirt with a knife bonded to the neck, was demanded to be removed, much to the family’s dismay. This delayed the service for an hour.

Draping a casket with the national flag is done for agents of the State and other dignitaries. It is also deemed inappropriate to damage or alter the flag, as stipulated by the Protocol Department and Chancery of the Office of the Prime Minister, which states that the flag is a symbol of the nation and must always be treated with dignity and respect.

The funeral home indicated that it did not place the flag on the casket.

The drama continued when Rowe’s father, a police corporal with the Jamaica Constabulary Force, began speaking at the service, something the relatives of the mother’s family indicate in the footage was not according to plan.

One woman, seemingly the aunt of Sudene Mason, was vocal about her frustration and the politicisation of the service.

See footage from the funeral below: