A 26-year-old North Ruimveldt man, who reportedly teased a group of persons about their sexual orientation, was battered to death with an axe handle yesterday afternoon.

Athiel June, called Timothy, of 1976 Nutmeg Street, Festival City, North Ruimveldt collapsed on nearby Flying Fish Street.  He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) some time after 3 pm yesterday. Police have since taken a man into custody.

Reports are that June was riding along Flying Fish Street shortly after 2 pm where a group of persons was “liming”. June, an eyewitness said, shouted a comment about the sexual orientation of the group and continued riding. Shortly after, the man, a member of the group, rushed out of a nearby yard armed with an axe handle.

“This man come rushing out de yard with this axe handle in he hand,” an eyewitness reported late last evening, “and de next thing we see de man start lashing up Timothy bicycle and lashing he up so Timothy drop de bicycle and run in a yard.”

The incident, according to the eyewitness, occurred two houses away from the residence of June’s grandmother. After June rushed into the nearby yard, the eyewitness said, the man picked up two large bricks and hurled it at him.

“Lil after he get pelt with de two big brick he run out of de yard and he fall down on de street and is there de man go and start beating he with de axe handle…he de just lashing he in he head and around he heart area and so.”

Stabroek News was reliably informed that June’s attacker was also rushed to the medical institution yesterday afternoon for treatment. The man, hospital sources said, sustained a wound to his left arm. He was treated and taken into police custody where he remained up to press time.

Flying Fish Street residents said that June died shortly after he was battered. Efforts, they said, were made to revive him “but it was too late”.

“After de man done beat he and lef’ he there,” one resident recalled, “some people rush out and throw water pun he and so but he de done gone…he didn’t look like he de breathing.”

The deceased’s elderly grandmother, Joyce Frank, was unable to speak to Stabroek News yesterday. However, the man’s cousin said that while he had not witnessed the incident he was informed that “a friend” attempted to resuscitate June but was unsuccessful.

June, residents said, “had problems” with his family and had been living at the Nutmeg Street address for approximately one month. The man was employed as a carpenter/mason.

He leaves to mourn an 8-year-old daughter. (Sara Bharrat)