Thirty-nine -year-old Redwin Europe was stabbed to death on Saturday evening by a man with whom he had an argument over $500 at the Wales Community Centre.
Europe also called ‘Buju’ of Two Fields, Patentia Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara, had been preparing to travel to the interior yesterday and was attempting to make some money for his journey by setting up a gambling table which ultimately resulted in his death.
A release from the police said that the incident occurred at around 7:05 pm on Saturday when Europe and another man were gaming and an argument developed over money. The release said that the other man went away and returned with a knife which he used to stab Europe in his back and escaped. Europe, a father of 11, was pronounced dead at the West Demerara Regional Hospital while the knife believed to have been used in the attack was recovered by the police.
When Stabroek News visited the man’s home, which he shares with a number of extended family members, his relatives were still in shock and disbelief over his death and questioned why a man would kill another over a mere $500 which was eventually returned.
“He was planning to go back to the interior, come look, look he bags pack right here everything for him to go,” the man’s reputed wife Desiree Brummell related to Stabroek News yesterday.
She recalled that the area was holding a “village day” at the community centre and she had gone there to vend some black pudding among other items while Europe and a friend had set up the gambling board in the compound of the centre.
Reports are that following a game Europe and his attacker had an argument over the $500 and there was a scuffle between the two. “But he give he back the five hundred dollars but we didn’t know the man still vex and he went home fuh de knife,” Brummell, who is the mother of Europe’s three younger children, said.
According to one relative Europe had “chucked” the man who fell and grazed his side on an old freezer. The man, who was intoxicated at the time, stuck around the centre for a while but later left for his home nearby.
“When he come back nobody ent know he had the knife but Buju daughter see how he been watching she father strong, strong, but nobody woulda think he guh do something like duh,” a relative said.
When the man returned, Europe was sitting on an old freezer and as soon as he turned his back the assailant rushed up to him, stabbed him in the back and dropped the knife before making his escape.
According to relatives the man works at sea and from all indications the knife is one which he uses for his job. “Is a sea knife and he done know about ripping guts out from fish suh like he just push in the knife, turn it and pull it out,” a female relative of Europe said.
Brummell said after her husband was stabbed he fell to the ground and some persons strapped the wound while she ran and got a car. He was lying on her legs when he took his last breath even as she prayed that he would have made it to the hospital alive.
“And then the car break down too and the road deh rough and every time the car juk up I praying that he ent go dead but he still dead,” the woman said yesterday morning.
According to relatives Europe had only recently changed his life and become a Christian and would always be reading his Bible and talking about how sinful the world is.
“He ent use to gamble anymore but is duh lil money that he deh want to go back in the bush mek he set up the table, you see how the devil stay …he lead the man to his death,” a sister-in-law of the deceased lamented.
Relatives also reported that in recent times Europe constantly spoke about death and some now feel that he knew his end was near.
“Only last week one a he friend dead and we went to the wake and somebody making joke and ask who next and he said `me’ and now look how he dead fuh true,” Brummell said with a sad shake of her head.
Brummell described her husband as a loving person, “he de loving, no problem really is only de lady dem but he did loving.” She said the man loved all of his children and even though most did not live with him he would look out for all of them.
The relatives of Europe are hoping that his attacker is caught soon and justice served. They said a taxi driver who transported him out of the area after the incident has since been held by the police.
Europe has left his 11 children, ages one to 15, siblings, his wife and other relatives and friends to mourn his death.
