Up to press time yesterday the Brazilian man who was taken into custody on Sunday after his brother-in-law succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head was still assisting the police with investigations.

The Brazilian was detained after police launched investigations into what may have been a case of suicide.

Errol John Phillips, 19, of Laluni Street, Queenstown succumbed in the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) around 3.25 pm on Sunday after he sustained a gunshot wound to the head following an apparent bid to kill himself. Police reports said Phillips resided with his brother-in-law, a Brazilian who owns a mining company. Phillips worked with the company.

According to initial reports the Brazilian returned home from the interior around 2 pm on Saturday and found that a quantity of gold he had had in his room was missing. Upon being questioned Phillips allegedly admitted taking the gold and he was threatened that the matter would be reported to the police and his family informed if he did not return it. The brother-in-law reportedly left the home and on his return around 9 pm on Saturday, found Phillips lying in his bed with a gunshot wound to his head and an unlicensed 9 mm pistol nearby.

Hospital sources said Phillips arrived at the institution around 9.50 pm on Saturday with a gunshot wound to the left side of his head. The police retrieved the firearm, nine live 9 mm rounds and a 9 mm spent shell.

Meanwhile a police source said they have since been informed that a gunshot was heard some time Saturday evening, during which time the Brazilian was not at home. As such the source said the Brazilian would be placed on bail and released as soon as some other details are cleared. When Stabroek News visited the man’s Queenstown home yesterday there was no family member present except for a security guard who also confirmed that his boss (the Brazilian) was still in custody.