Linden man dies after beating over alleged theft

The 39-year-old Victory Valley, Wismar Linden resident Patrick Henry, who was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital after he was reportedly beaten by persons in his hometown, died on Saturday.

A police release yesterday said that they are investigating the death of Henry who was allegedly beaten by persons on April 15. He was taken to the Mackenzie Hospital but later transferred to Georgetown where he succumbed.

When Stabroek News visited Victory Valley yesterday afternoon, Henry’s residence was pointed out as a small shack in a resident’s yard. He has been living there since his release from prison some months ago.

According to reports Henry also known as ‘Doggie’ was accused of breaking, entering and stealing. He allegedly stole a DVD player, $37,000, a cooler and some drinks.

Residents told Stabroek News that the day following the break and enter a gang of men surrounded Henry and gave him a good thrashing and attempted to force him to confess to the alleged crime.

“But he keep saying he didn’t do,” residents said. The following day another gang converged on him and beat him even worse resulting in his hospitalization.

“We aint know who these men were. But dey beat he really bad. Dey well and stomp he in he belly with dey big boots and kick he up. It was really bad. I feel so sorry fuh he, but nobody ain’t come out fuh help cause we didn’t know who dem bannas was,” one resident said.

Residents said they had summoned the police to his aid. “I know he didn’t do it,” one resident said. He said that the very night in question Henry was in another area and was in his company for the entire night. “We know that he did bad things in the past and even went to jail but he die fuh something he didn’t do.”

Henry earned a living by doing odd jobs around the area for persons. He was the father of three children.

When Henry was admitted to the Georgetown hospital last week an x-ray examination revealed that he had four bullets in his body.
Hospital officials had said Henry was taken for an x-ray which showed that he had four bullets embedded in his body; two in his left and right shoulders and two in the left and right side of his abdomen. He was to have undergone surgery to remove the bullets.