The third pirate, who was killed on Friday morning in a shoot-out with police at Cromarty Corentyne, has been identified by the police as 25-year old Hugh Gillis of Dazzell Housing Scheme, Paradise, East Coast Demerara.
However, when Stabroek News visited the home of the deceased, his stepfather said that his stepson’s name was Cranston Gills, and he was unaware of his son being known by any other name. The dead man was reportedly identified by his sister who lives in the Corentyne.
The stepfather, who asked not to be named, said he had last heard from his son on Wednesday evening when he contacted him to find out if he was coming home. Gills had replied that he would be returning home the following morning.
The man said that Gills used to work in the bush but returned home and began doing construction and upholstery work, and that from time to time he would travel about doing odd jobs.
He added that his son was also friends with Cliff Chichester of Mahaicony (another of the pirates who was killed) and who used to reside in the same community. According to the father, his son wanted to join the army like his friend. The man said that as far as he was aware his stepson had never been involved in any criminal activity and he had been surprised when he heard the news of his death. He leaves to mourn his parents, three siblings and a two-year-old daughter.
Members of the community also expressed surprise at the news, with some residents saying that he never seemed to be the criminal type.
Meanwhile, when Stabroek News visited the home of Chichester’s mother she declined to speak. Neigh-bours, however, told this newspaper that Chichester had stopped living with his mother for some time now.
The third bandit had earlier been identified as ex-soldier, James Gibson.
Detective Constable Travis Oslyn Glasgow, attached to the Whim Police Station was killed when the pirates opened fire on the police. They returned fire killing the three heavily-armed pirates.
The police had responded to a report that the pirates had been spotted pulling in a boat at the Cromarty foreshore, which they had hijacked from a fisherman, Bisham Moteelall, on Thursday.
The body of Hector Boodhoo, 57, a fisherman of Rose Hall Town, who had been missing since around 4 pm on Thursday, was found tied to a tree among some bushes at Port Mourant with cuts to his ear and the back of his head. A piece of multi-coloured cloth was tied to his head.
After Boodhoo did not go home, relatives launched a search for him on Thursday night but came up empty-handed. They continued the search the following morning and came upon the body among the bushes.
The police recovered two AK-47 rifles and one 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and a quantity of ammunition including seven AK-47 magazines, 178 rounds 7.62 x 39 ammunition, fourteen 12-gauge cartridges and 28 rounds .30 ammunition, 17 round .40 ammunition, 6 rounds .45 ammunition, one round 9mm. ammo and an empty 12-gauge casing.
One of the AK-47 rifles has been identified as being one of those stolen from the Guyana Defence Force. Police also recovered a backpack, which contained the men’s belongings including a quantity of marijuana, clothing, toothbrushes, cell phone chargers, two SIM cards, a few tennis rolls in a packet and a bottle of all purpose oil; presumably used to clean the guns.
Bulletproof vest
Glasgow was struck in his chest by a bullet which passed through his bulletproof vest. When the matter of the quality of the vests which are issued to law enforcement was raised with senior officers, this newspaper was told that those which the police in Berbice were using had been tested and had been proven to be of good quality. They said that the vests had no problem but the bullet had penetrated the one Glasgow had on because “the calibre of the weapon was too heavy.”
Drama at foreshore
Veerasammy Narinesammy, 61, of Rose Hall Town, who was the first person whom the gunmen held hostage on Thursday, said that around 7 am he was about “to cross the channel” to go to Port Mourant when he saw a boat.
He did not see anyone but after he passed the boat a pirate emerged from among the bushes and pointed a gun at his head and asked him how far away Skeldon was.
The pirate allowed him to go on his way but told him he would meet his two pirate-partners further up and that he should tell them to join him. Narinesammy never conveyed the message, because some distance away one of the two bandits suddenly pounced on him and placed a gun to his head while ordering him to call another fisherman or he would “blow me head off.”
He complied and by that time the other gunman as well as the first one he had encountered, made their appearance.
At that stage two other fishermen could be seen approaching and the gunmen ordered Narinesammy to call them as well. The pirates took the three men into the bushes.
Around 9 am, he said, Boodhoo was coming into shore and he noticed that the boat the pirates had used had cut his net and so he “come up to them and tell them don’t do it again.”
The vessel was the MV Mark Counter 2 which had been hijacked with its five crew members in the Mahaicony River on Wednesday.
Narinesammy told him to sit down and then he [Boodhoo] realized that the men were bandits. Boodhoo then gave the gunmen two bananas and a mango he had in a bag and they ate them.
After learning that Boodhoo’s four brothers were still in the water repairing their seines, one of the pirates went with Boodhoo escort them into the bush as well. Boodhoo was never seen alive again, while his brothers did not encounter the pirate.
Afterwards one of the pirates who Narinesammy described as the “good one who treat we good” gave them cigarettes, tennis rolls with cheese as well as nuts.
Shortly after the pirate left with Boodhoo, the Coast Guard vessel arrived with four men. The bandits then took Narinesammy and three other men deeper into the bushes.
They all watched while two men came out of the Coast Guard vessel and went into the fishing boat that was equipped with two engines which they worked on before leaving in it. While this was taking place the pirates had their guns trained on the boats.
After the fishing boat left the pirates got angry and bound the fishermen using straps from the guns as well as other pieces of string from their bags.
The pirate who had taken Boodhoo returned at around 4.30 pm and told his accomplices that he had a boat they could use. The boat they were referring to belonged to a fisherman, Bisham Moteelall, 51, who was at that point coming in with his catch.
The “good” pirate was ordered to kill the fishermen but instead he told them to remain in the bush until he and the other two had left and then free themselves.
Around 5 pm one of the fishermen called ‘Fineman’ was able to set himself free and then assisted the others. After that they ran through the thick bushes at top speed “without looking back.”
Narinesammy joked, “This was not for a prize; this was for we life. I couldn’t even believe that an old man like me coulda run so fast to match up with them young boys.”
They were on their way out when they reached Motilall and his family. He said they checked to see if Boodhoo had reached home, and when they discovered he had not, they returned with his family to search for him.
He said each pirate had a cell phone and they made contact with persons and told them to put credit on their phones. Every time they finished making a call they turned off the phone and removed the SIM card.
Post-traumatic
stress
Moteelall’s wife Chandrawattie Sookdeo told this newspaper yesterday that her husband who had not eaten since the incident was still deeply traumatized and was “talking to himself.” She said she he would have to seek medical attention.
She said she and her daughter Shaleza, 20, were at the shore waiting to assist him when they were attacked. She said her husband was stressed out from the ordeal and kept wondering what would have happened to his wife and daughter if the pirates had killed him.
He was about to tie up his boat when the pirates ordered him to empty it and he complied. They had taken him out to the sea in the boat and he had begged for his life before they threw him out as his wife watched in fear.
Chandrawattie said she prayed daily for protection and felt God was with them that day so the pirates spared their lives.
Shaleza said they tried several times to dial 911 but to no avail and they decided to phone a neighbour who contacted the police who arrived at the scene.
Nowhere to run
Moteelall was aware that there was not much gas left in his tank and knew that it would not be enough to take the pirates very far. He was scouring the area with this in mind when he spotted the men pulling the boat in on Friday.
He immediately contacted his family and they in turn informed the police who responded promptly.
According to an eyewitness, who did not want to be named, “Within minutes dem [the police] don deh hey.” He said the pirates were in a clump of bushes “behind them crudah [courida] trees.” The four policemen saw the pirates, who began running away from them. The police were then taken to “wan short cut and then dem circle dem pirates in the bushes.” Cornered, the pirates began to fire shots at the police who responded.
Police had said in a press release that Gibson was on bail on a charge of possession of a firearm without licence before the court in Berbice. He was reportedly found with a firearm that had been stolen from the Police Outpost at Rose Hall, Corentyne, which had been attacked by armed gunmen.
He was also later jointly charged with Oliver Hinckson, again over the possession of a firearm without a licence, and was also on bail in this matter which is before the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. He was not attending court in these matters and arrest warrants had been issued for him, according to the release.
