Suspect in murder of Philippi soldier surrenders to police

Mark Bagot
Mark Bagot

The Black Bush Polder man accused of fatally stabbing a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer on Sunday evening in Philippi Village, Corentyne, yesterday surrendered to the police in Berbice.

Stabroek News was told that the man turned himself in to the Whim Police Station in the presence of his lawyer, Chandra Sohan. He has since been placed into custody, as the police continue their investigation.

The suspect is accused of inflicting a fatal stab wound to the chest of GDF Lieutenant, Mark Bagot, 26, of Lot 12 Philippi Village, Corentyne.

The suspect, identified as ‘Son’, of Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder, and the deceased, were both present at a shop in Philippi on Sunday evening. Stabroek News was told that initially, Bagot was having a drink with a friend of his, when the suspect, who is known to Bagot’s friend, joined them.

Daneshwar Garbarran, 39, proprietor of the shop in Philippi Farm, Corentyne where the murder occurred, had told this publication that “when Son come in, soldier man (Bagot) say ‘buy two Guinness’, the man (suspect) buy three and them drink.”

“Then soldier boy left and gone to the neighbour and he come back in 10 minutes and either he say bring a round or bring three Guinness. So ‘Son’ say he na want nothing, whatever he call for he go pay and soldier boy insist to bring something for he (‘Son’) and the man say no, what he call for, he go pay and the two start argue and pointing finger and next, soldier boy start pelt bottle,” he recounted.

The shop owner related that persons present started to intervene. “Them tell ‘Son’ that the boy is an officer and them start block and ‘Son’ deh run around and me na really see when he get bore but soldier boy go collect the stool for go in back and then me see blood and then he realise like he get bore too and he start get weak,” the man further recalled. 

Bagot, who was rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital, was subsequently transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment during the wee hours of Monday morning.

His father, Mark Bagot Sr, 51, had stated that a doctor at the New Amsterdam Hospital told him that the injury punctured his son’s lung and “they were unable to stop the bleeding.”

A post mortem examination is expected to be carried out on his body today at 10 am.