New Year breaks with two murders

By: Romila Boodram

Dead: Andre Britton

A 50-year-old miner, who stopped four teenagers from throwing squibs into his yard and at people on Old Year’s Night, was later stabbed to death by one of the young men.
The dead miner has been identified as Andre Britton, a father of five, of 111 Miles Mahdia, Potaro. Britton was stabbed to his neck and abdomen.
He died around 01:30 hrs on New Year’s Day on the Mahdia Hospital floor. This was after he had broken a window to gain entry into the building to seek medical attention. The hospital door was allegedly locked.
In a press release, police said that Britton had earlier confronted a man, during which the man was assaulted, for throwing squibs into the miner’s yard.
The release added that the man later returned and stabbed Britton about his body.
The suspect has been arrested and is in police custody assisting with the investigations.

Yesterday, Ann Edwin, the dead man’s reputed wife explained that her house is located between two shops, and people would normally lime in front of her yard at times.
The woman added that on Old Year’s night, four young men were in front of her yard, throwing squibs at people.
“My husband went outside and asked them to stop but they continued so my husband called the police and the ranks come and took away the squibs. The men got angry at my husband because they know he called the police,” Edwin related.
She further added that after the cops left, one of the teenagers threw a squib at her seven-year-old son who was standing in the yard.
“The squib hit my son on his foot and my husband got angry.
He went outside and he pushed the boy and he told them that he going to the Police Station to make a report,” Britton’s reputed wife said.
She added that her husband was stabbed while on his way to the police station.
“They stabbed him when he reached in the dark corner where there is no light. After he got stabbed be managed to go to the hospital, but the door was closed so he break the window and jumped in, and he died right there,” Edwin related.
Investigations are ongoing.

The second murder victim is 21-year-old Errol Sydney Campbell of Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
Campbell was stabbed in the region of his heart around 21:30 hrs on Wednesday. He died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) at 24:15 hrs.
Two suspects are in police custody.
Meanwhile, 2014 ended with the death 52-year-old Augustine Samuels, of Aruka, North West District.
Samuels was stabbed about the body around 19:30 hrs on Wednesday. He died at the Mabaruma Hospital.
Police said that Samuels and the suspect were imbibing at a shop when the suspect got involved in an argument with the shop owner.
The shop owner managed to escape but the suspect attacked Samuels. He is in police custody.