One dead, three shot in Plaisance robbery

Editor’s note: An updated story with erroneous details was previously posted including information that a second person Troy Collymore had passed away.  That information was incorrect. SN has withdrawn that report and apologises for any inconvenience caused.

By Sara Bharrat, Mark McGowan
and Gaulbert Sutherland

A man was shot dead and three injured during a robbery on Victoria Street at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara last night.

Anthony Taylor was identified as the dead man. Sources said that he was one of the persons who robbed a drugstore at Plaisance. This newspaper was told that Taylor had a record and had recently been released from prison. He reportedly lived at Adelaide Street in Charlestown.

Troy Collymore, 30, called ‘Nelly’ of Diamond, East Bank Demerara was shot in his head and was taken to the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital for a CT scan. He was then taken back to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Collymore, sources said, is in a critical condition.

Clyde Harris of Yarrow Dam and Noel Phillips, a US citizen who arrived here yesterday, were also injured during the robbery. Harris has since been admitted a patient to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) while Phillips is at a private city hospital.

When Stabroek News arrived at the Victoria Street scene just after 10 pm, approximately an hour after the incident had occurred, several heavily armed police were present and the entrance to the street had been blocked. Several ranks were at the pharmacy, owned by a man identified as Shiv, conducting investigations.

Up to press time this morning police had not issued a statement. However, this newspaper learnt from eyewitnesses that four men invaded the pharmacy and shortly after more than 12 gunshots were heard.

Glory, Collymore’s mother who lives in Plaisance, said that she’d been given a “run down” of what had happened by persons present during the incident. Shiv (the pharmacy owner), Collymore, Harris and Phillips (Shiv’s friend) were at the location just before the incident.

“They told me that after this man Shiv said he see a shadow pass behind him my son (Collymore) went to see is what and the gunman that was in there already just shoot he blam right to the head,” Glory told this newspaper. “Is three months ago Shiv open a car wash in de area and my son was running it.”

Shiv, the distressed woman said she’d learnt, dashed out of the pharmacy compound after the first gunshot was heard. Her account of what had happened was supported by a man who was a short distance away at the time.

The man, who declined identify himself, said that he became aware that something was going on when he heard about four gunshots. Shortly after hearing the gunshot the man said he saw Shiv running away from the pharmacy area and toward a bar which is located at the corner of Victoria Street and the Plaisance Railway Embankment Road.

“After I see that…me na wait for nothing more,” he recalled. “I dash myself and I hear about ten or more gunshots after that.”

It is believed that during the shooting Harris and Phillips were injured. However, reports are that Taylor, who was exiting the pharmacy with a bag containing cash, was wounded to the head by a bullet from the gun of one of his three other accomplices.

“All I see this man get shot to head and drop in de trench,” an eyewitness told a policeman.

Meanwhile, other eyewitnesses have told this newspaper that they believe Collymore knew the attackers. Collymore, they alleged, was “a known character in the area” who was always involved in some incident or the other. His mother confirmed last night that in 2009 he had been charged with the murder of US-based businessman Ricardo Henriques, who was killed in 2008, but the charges were dropped about six months after. Henriques of D’Urban Street, Werk-en-Rust was fatally shot during a robbery. He was shot in the head at point blank range around 7 pm just outside a booth on Middle Street on November 24, 2008.

Meantime, Phillips, known as Junior, was shot twice in his right arm but one of the bullets, exited his arm and entered his stomach. Up to press time this morning, Phillips,48, was undergoing surgery at the Woodlands Hospital.

A friend of the injured man told Stabroek News last evening that he had just returned to his Plaisance home when he received a call informing him of the shooting and Phillips’ injury. The friend, who requested anonymity, said he then rushed to the drugstore. He said when he arrived Phillips was conscious and was stable. The friend said that when he arrived at the scene he was also able to identify Collymore and Harris.  He said that nobody at the scene appeared to know who the other man was.

The friend said that Phillips resides in the USA and had only returned to the country yesterday morning. Phillips, the friend said, came to celebrate his anniversary with his wife. The wife of the injured man was at the hospital last evening with relatives and friends, but declined to speak to this newspaper

Taylor, 21, was charged with discharging a loaded firearm on June 20 at Troy Bishop at Albouystown with intent to maim, disfigure or inflict grievous bodily harm.

He was also charged with felonious wounding of Bishop on the same date at Albouystown.