– attacker, witness in custody

Three days after he returned from the interior a Mahaica man was killed in a gruesome manner during a heated argument with a drinking buddy yesterday.
Deochand Sirkissoon, 38, of Belmont, Mahaica bled to death after he was slashed in the throat. The wound, inflicted with a broken bottle, almost severed Sirkisson’s head, according to reports.

Deochand Sirkissoon

Police have since detained the man who attacked Sirkissoon, who is known as ‘Barren Cow’, and another person who witnessed the incident also remained in custody up to press time. There are conflicting reports as to how the incident occurred and at least one eyewitness said he would not speak unless he is pressured.
Sirkissoon’s relatives, angry and grief-stricken, were calling for justice yesterday saying that the police need to question everyone who was at the drinking place including the man who is refusing to freely give a statement. “We wan justice fuh he. We brudda throat get slit bad and people trying fuh hide things,” a sister named Deeya lamented.

It was a bloody scene at the Belmont home/drinking place where the incident happened and according to relatives, the people who were present rushed to clean up the area before police were called in. A few persons who were also present have since declared they saw nothing.

Sirkissoon’s sister told Stabroek News that her brother returned from “the gold bush” on Wednesday last with a number of items to sell. He reportedly gave his attacker the items and was asking for his money shortly before he was killed. She said the eyewitness who is in custody told police that Sirkissoon simply asked about his items during the drinking session and things escalated within a few minutes.

Sirkissoon’s attacker reportedly sprang up from where he was sitting and dealt him a slap in the face. This prompted a remark from Sirkissoon which apparently enraged the man who got up and broke a bottle. He rushed Sirkissoon and slashed his throat, but made no attempt to flee the scene.

Deochand Sirkissoon in younger days.

Persons present called for assistance to take the wounded man to the Mahaicony hospital while others started cleaning up the place. Sirkissoon was pronounced dead at the hospital a short while after and his body was later transported to a city funeral home.

Relatives said initial reports had indicated that Sirkissoon was attacked after he asked the man for “a light” to smoke his cigarette. “We brudda ain’t in dis fighting thing, he don’t fight; he peaceful,” a sister said. However, she pointed out that Sirkissoon was a heavy drinker. She insisted though that even with alcohol in his system her brother was not a violent person.

Sirkissoon and his attacker were drinking buddies according to the family. They said the two would meet and have a drink whenever Sirkissoon returned from the interior. The last time the family saw Sirkissoon was on Friday morning when he left home to go and have a drink with friends.

A brother who identified himself as “Black Boy” said Sirkissoon did not return home after he left Friday morning. He said his older brother would have been “sporting” all the time until he met his demise.
Sirkissoon did not father any children and he was the eldest of four.