Murders up 58% compared to last year

As at November 30 there were 58% (all figures rounded) more murders than the total amount recorded by police in 2009.
The police, Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said on Friday, have recorded one less murder than Stabroek News so far for the year.
During November one person was murdered every two days. November is the third month this year in which 15 murders were recorded and this takes the number of killings up to 131 so far for 2010.

In January there were 15 murders and the following month, February, the figure fell to seven killings. The murder rate stayed in the low category (with 10 or less murders) being recorded from March to June.

However, in July the number of murders climbed to 15 for a second time and has not dropped below 12 since. In August and October there were 13 reported murders each. September recorded an all-time high of 17 murders.

Of the 15 murders recorded for November, 2 of the victims were female. So far for 2010 a total of 103 men have been murdered. Three of the men murdered in November were battered to death by their attackers. Augustine Henry, Rakesh Randolph and Kawal Outar were all battered to death. Outar was beaten with the metal handle of a “car jack” and police have since issued a wanted bulletin for his alleged attacker, Mark Gobin. Henry died after a beating from his reputed wife at Eclipse Falls.

There was also a case of strangulation in November. Alexis Perreira was found dead in her Blueberry Hill, Linden home and a post-mortem later found that she died from strangulation.

One of the most brutal attacks recorded in November is the stabbing to death of Jermaine Jones. The man was stabbed about 14 times by his attacker following an argument.

However, since the beginning of the year, shooting has been and continues to be the leading method used by perpetrators to kill their victims. This was followed by stabbing, wounding by some other means and then battering and thereafter by methods (under 10 deaths) such as chopping, burning, drowning, electrocution, strangulation, suffocation and others.