Spurned lover shoots Linden woman, boss

A Linden woman and her boss are hospitalised after they were shot several times by a man with whom she ended a relationship.

The suspected shooter is in police custody. Simone Belle and Sherwin ‘Cutty’ Hughes, both 41 years, are currently hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). In a statement, police said the incident occurred at around 1:45am yesterday at Half Mile, Wismar in Linden.

The statement said that investigations revealed that Belle had just arrived home in a vehicle driven by Hughes, when shots were discharged at them in the vehicle by a man who is reported to have shared a relationship with Belle. The relationship ended several months ago.

Belle was shot four times while Hughes sustained two bullet wounds. Belle’s daughter told Stabroek News that her father opened fire on her mother after he became angry about an altercation the two had the night before at a Wismar grocery store.

“While we were talking, the same time I saw my mother coming in the vehicle with Sherwin Hughes and his wife,” she said.

Sensing danger, she said she tried to alert her mother and Hughes to not stop at the home. “Being aware of my father temper, as the vehicle approached I shouted out to Cutty to drive past and not stop. My father was aware of what was going on and ran out on the road and start shooting at the moving vehicle,” the daughter related.

She said that her mother was hit by four bullets in her left arm, one in her right shoulder and another in her right leg. Hughes was hit by a bullet in one of his arms and another bullet in his back.

They were rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex and subsequently transferred to the GPH and are currently listed as stable, the daughter said. Belle is employed by Hughes at his grocery store.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Stabroek News that a man is in custody assisting with investigations.