Police in Berbice are awaiting legal advice before proceeding with charges following the death of 63-year-old Sookdeo Mithoo who was gun- butted in the head last Tuesday during an attempted robbery at his No.76 Village, Corentyne home.
Relatives are hoping that the accused attackers – Orin Brown and Shane Jones who are currently behind bars after being charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition and assault with intent to commit robbery – will face charges for his death.
The man’s son Indar Mithoo told Stabroek News yesterday that while he is confronted by the fact that the men are in police custody he is afraid that they “could get off scot-free”.
He related that the bandits first pounced on his mother 61-year-old Somwattie Mithoo and when his father was going to her rescue, he was dealt several blows to the head, with a gun that one of the bandits had.
Sookdeo was rushed to the Skeldon Hospital in an unconscious state and later transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he died around 10 pm on Saturday without fully regaining consciousness.
A post-mortem examination revealed that the man died as a result of the blows he sustained to his head.
According to Indar, around 5:30 am last Tuesday, his father had gone out into the yard to use the lavatory and shortly after, his mother went out to pick flowers to perform her prayers.
He told this newspaper that his mother noticed a shadow but when she turned around the two attackers, who were hiding in the yard, grabbed her and she started to scream.
The men while bracing her to the wall said “shut ya mouth, we didn’t come fuh kill yah”, the man told this newspaper adding that his father came to see what was happening after he heard the screams.
He was however attacked by the bandits who then abandoned their robbery plans and fled the scene while his mother continued screaming.
Indar told this newspaper that he had already left for work when he got the message about the incident around 6 am. When he arrived home, his father was unconscious and his mother was crying.
He said that he last saw his father during the 4 pm visiting hour on Saturday before he left for the airport to pick up his sister who had travelled from overseas.
Indar recalled telling him “hold on, don’t go home (die) yet. I am going to bring ya daughter” and his father made an attempt to open his eyes.
Somwattie learnt of her husband’s death when she went for the 6 am visit on Sunday.
Member of the policing group had responded to calls from neighbours about the incident and together with the police, managed to capture the two men at Scottsburg Beach.
While speaking with this newspaper, the man said that he was upset at the way his father died and said that “persons must be free to live in their own place. We work hard and we don’t want to live in fear”.
He said that bandits attacked them several times before but last Tuesday was the first time that his father was home to witness it. A few months ago he recalled that bandits made off with cash and a quantity of household articles.
