Providence man dies after battered with wood in row over bike

Relatives of a painter, who was beaten to death on Thursday, are now coming to grips to the death. The murder occurred during a gruesome fight, following an argument, reportedly over a bicycle, with a man and was witnessed by the painter’s older daughter.

Dead is Roopram ‘Shane’ Jagdeo, 38, of Lot 110 Providence, East Bank Demerara. Jagdeo was reportedly beaten in his head with a piece of wood a number of times.

When Stabroek News visited the home of Jagdeo, his wife Bibi related that on Thursday, she heard sounds outside and saw her husband and another man arguing; both armed with pieces of wood.

“I was in the washroom when meh daughter come and seh, mommy mommy come and see wah happen to daddy and when I come outside I see meh husband run in de yard and pick up a piece of wood. The other man come with a longer piece of wood towards he,” Bibi said.

Roopram Jagdeo

She said that when her husband tried to leave yard, she held him back, noting that he was enraged.

Bibi said her husband then threw the wood at the other man and it hit him in the head, causing the man to collapse.

She related that after the man got up she went and tried to take him away, as she sought to resolve the conflict which he and her husband had. She said the man eventually went away. She said she later learned that on the afternoon of the attack her husband had gone to the home of the assailant to borrow a bicycle and an argument ensued between them.

Some time later, however, the man apparently returned. Bibi said it was unclear to her exactly where the fight started.

Her daughter who witnessed the ordeal said she was downstairs at the time.  “I see a man come in we gate and all I hear daddy seh, ‘ya want fight come in here,’ and he lash daddy and he fall to ground. And then he lash he again bout 3 time in he head and daddy blackout. After I see wah de man do I run at the back and hide because I de frighten,” Shalieza Jagdeo said, in tears.

Bibi related that after the ordeal, she then went downstairs and saw her husband who was in an unconscious state lying on the ground bleeding from his head.

She said she threw water on him but realised that he was not coming around so she contacted the hospital. She was told that an ambulance was available but no driver was around.

She then called a taxi and her husband was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was later admitted. Bibi said that on the way to the hospital her husband came to and complained about a headache.

When she visited the hospital on Friday, a nurse related to her that the doctor who attended to her husband on Friday, said that he had passed away. “I scream,” Bibi related.

The twin brother of Jagdeo, Rohit Jagdeo, said he got the news from his wife about his brother’s demise and lost consciousness.

“When I hear me brother dead, I faint away. Dah man and me navel string cut same time. We grow up together. If I been here that woulda neva happen to me brother,” said Rohit Jagdeo who was inconsolable.

He further related that now he was worried about his sister-in-law and nieces and how they will cope. “It’s hard fah dem because dey now lose dey father just couple days before Christmas. If it hard fuh me tek on, much less dem lil wan dem.”