Man dies after beaten while asleep in Lusignan prison

A 40-year-old man died today at the Georgetown Hospital after he was beaten at the Lusignan Prison last night.

A statement today from the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) said that at about 9.05 pm yesterday an alarm was raised by prisoners housed in Unit #1 at the Lusignan Prison (Quarantine Section).

The GPS said that the Officers on duty responded and it was reported that remanded prisoner Victor Soomaru had been lashed with a piece of brick wrapped in a towel while he was asleep by another remanded prisoner.

Soomaru, of Lot 85 Gordon Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was immediately taken out of the unit and escorted to the Prison Infirmary where he was seen by the medical personnel on duty and given the necessary medical attention.  He was later referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation for further medical treatment and was seen and examined by a doctor on duty.

At about 10.30 am today, Soomaru died while he was still receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Hospital.

Soomaru had been housed in Unit # 1 along with three other prisoners including the alleged accused.  He had been remanded for trafficking 1.959 grammes of cannabis. His date of admission to the prison was February 1st

The police are currently investigating the matter.