Bourda Market stabbing

Upon his arrest on Friday, the prime suspect in the murder of a labourer at Bourda Market was found with a quantity of cocaine.

The police said that at the time of his arrest – around 22:30h – the suspect, known as “Symptoms”, was found with six grams of cocaine in his possession. He is therefore expected to face a narcotics trafficking charge in addition to the capital offence.

According to reports, 40-year-old Jerome Cumberbatch, also called ‘Kunta’ and ‘Crekateh’, a labourer of 159 Half Mile Wismar, Linden, was stabbed to death on Thursday afternoon.

The incident occurred at Bourda Market following a dispute between the two men over money. Cumberbatch was reportedly stabbed by the suspect at least five times with a broken bottle, and subsequently a knife.

It has been reported that on the day in question, Cumberbatch, who did odd jobs in the market, became involved in an argument with the suspect, who became annoyed, broke a bottle and stabbed the man. Not satisfied with the injuries he had inflicted on his victim, the suspect whipped out a knife and inflicted several other wounds on the victim.

The victim, who was differently-abled, reportedly fell out of his wheelchair and was lying in a pool of blood in one of the isles of the market.

Although the victim was stabbed in plain view of several persons, no one had gone to his assistance, and by the time medical personnel from the Georgetown Public Hospital had responded, he was already dead.

After committing the heinous act, the suspect fled the scene, but as a result of diligent work by the police, he was arrested on Friday. The now dead man’s body is presently at the Lyken Funeral Parlour awaiting a post-mortem examination, which is expected to be done on Monday morning. If all goes well, the suspect will be placed before the court for his arraignment that same day.