We sought out Willoughby for a comment, and he flatly denied Roches' claims. Willoughby insists that he did approach Roches to have a discussion about a previous exchange they'd had less than a month ago. He claims that while he was campaigning on JR Street in the Jane Usher Boulevard area, Roches insulted and disrespected him for an extended period of time.
He says that he approached Roches to address that disagreement and that he never got physical in any way with him.
Here's his response to Roches' accusation that he behaved in an aggressive and thug-like manner:
Phillip Willoughby, UDP Std. Bearer - Port Loyola
"About 3 weeks ago whilst campaigning on JR Street which is behind Jane Usher Boulevard, I was doing the house to house tour visiting the residents in the constituency. As I began my campaign in JR Street this dude stood on the street then went on his veranda then came onto the street again cursing from the top of his voice, just disrespecting me and being rude. I believe that one of or both were at play where a state of mind which I would say he was whether normal, could it be that he was intoxicated or and was under the influence of some drug. So, one of the above or all of the above could have been in play to have this individual just cursing the whole night through for about 2-3 hours. The neighbors and the lady from the yard ask him to leave. The neighbors told him to behave himself and he refused. He utterly refused. Friday afternoon I saw him after that. I was one of my campaigner's home going over the week's work and I saw him riding by and I approached him thinking that maybe this is the normal state of mind and only to say to him sir, your behavior wasn't becoming a human being and please just leave me alone. that's was all that was said to him."
Reporter
"Did you ever tough him?"
Phillip Willoughby, UDP Std. Bearer - Port Loyola
"No sir, nothing more, nothing less. And other people were there to see what happened. It was nothing of this sort. So he fabricated the story whatever that story was that he took to the airwaves as you put it or that he approached your media house and maybe it's to affect me, but those people who knows him and knows his history, that's just how Mr. Roaches behaves."
Willoughby insists that he has been trying his hand at peace-making for the warring gangs in the Jane Usher Boulevard area. He says that he wouldn't risk the early success of those attempts, and his candidacy in Port to pick a fight with Roches. We asked about his accuser's insistence that he will press criminal charges. He said that he has witnesses to back up that these are false claims.
