Security firm failed Simone Coleridge – relatives

Relatives of Simone Coleridge, who was murdered early Wednesday morning while on duty at Uncle Eddie’s Home, said yesterday that proprietor of RK Security Service Roshan Khan had failed to answer their questions.

Simone Coleridge
Simone Coleridge

Coleridge, 43, of Tiger Bay was tied, gagged, beaten and then strangled by her attackers who also removed several appliances from the senior citizens’ home.  The woman’s body was discovered in the main building of Uncle Eddie’s Home. Police have not yet made an arrest. A post-mortem examination will be conducted on Coleridge’s body today.

Stabroek News was informed yesterday by an RK employee that the only person who could comment on the matter was owner Roshan Khan. However, Khan remained unavailable for comment despite repeated efforts to contact him.

Carlotta D’ Oliveira said she spoke to Khan yesterday morning and he told her that the company would cover Coleridge’s funeral expenses, but had a ceiling of $100,000.

“I went to see Roshan Khan to discuss my concerns about what happened,” D’ Oliveira said. “He told me he would pay for the funeral but he changed his mind later. We can afford to pay for my sister’s funeral but she was on duty when she died and I believe that the company is responsible.”

D’ Oliveira believes that her sister may have recognized her attackers. She had said that earlier this year, Coleridge had related an incident to her. Coleridge, she said, had a confrontation with a man, who was armed with a pitchfork, in the compound of Uncle Eddie’s Home. Police have since confirmed that the incident occurred in February and was reported to them.

“She told me that the man was in the compound that night armed with a pitchfork… they had a little pushing but she was the type of person who would avoid a fight,” D’ Oliveira related. Coleridge could identify the man, her sister said. The woman had also had a similar encounter at the end of last year. Both incidents, according to D’ Oliveira, were reported to RK Security but no action was ever taken by the company.

The distressed woman said she questioned Khan yesterday about why her sister was not provided with assistance after reporting these incidents or why she was not moved from the location. Khan, according to her, tried avoiding the questions and when he did answer it was “not satisfactory”.

“At least if my sister had a radio on her I would’ve felt better,” D’ Oliveira stated. “But she had nothing… I have no satisfaction of knowing that she had something to defend herself with or to make a fair attempt at escaping.”

Khan reasoned that even if Coleridge had a radio it would not have done her any good, D’ Oliveira said. According to her, when questioned about why her sister was not given assistance after she reported the previous confrontations Khan indicated that the service at Uncle Eddie’s Home was “charitable”.

The woman said she now feels that RK Security Service did not value her sister’s life.

D’ Oliveira had opined on Wednesday that safety provisions and working conditions for security guards need to be improved. “My sister died on the job… a very cruel death. When my grief is over I will deal with RK and ensure that they do right by us,” D’ Oliveira said. “I was expecting more from this company but I guess I was expecting too much.”

Police in a press statement on Wednesday said they were investigating “the suspected murder” of Coleridge which occurred at approximately 2 am that day at Uncle Eddie’s Home, Tucville, Georgetown.

Investigations, police said, revealed that “an aide on duty at the institution heard a noise in the building and upon checking found ….Coleridge lying on the floor in the waiting area of the building. Her hands and feet were bound and her mouth gagged with a piece of cloth.”

A subsequent check, according to police, revealed that a television set, a portable fridge and a microwave had been stolen. Police have since recovered the stolen articles in an abandoned house in the Tucville area.