Jason Montgomery, the Australian who was shot by gunmen during the recent robbery at Safraz’s Bar and Restaurant, has been hospitalised again.
Montgomery, 36, who was shot in the abdomen, has now spent more than a week in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a private hospital.
On the night of January 8, when three gunmen stormed the bar on David Street, Kitty, Montgomery was one of two patrons who were injured. A waitress, Kulmattie Singh, was fatally shot in the head.
After the incident, Montgomery was admitted to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). He was released from GPH three days later on January 12.
Mark Xavier, the injured man’s business associate, recently told Stabroek News that on the morning after his release from GPH, Montgomery had to be rushed to a private hospital.
While at GPH, Xavier said, the man underwent surgery. The bullet, Xavier explained, pierced Montgomery’s abdominal cavity and a hole was left in his intestine. On January 13, when Montgomery was rushed to the private hospital, his business associate recalled, some 2 litres of substance was taken from his stomach. The substance, doctors later explained, leaked from Montgomery’s breached intestines.
Montgomery again underwent surgery; this time at the private hospital, Xavier said. Since then the man has been a patient in the hospital’s ICU. The injured man has declined to speak to the media, telling his associates that he just wishes to recover and move on with his life. Several efforts made to contact relevant officials at the GPH for a comment were futile.
Meanwhile, police are yet to arrest the perpetrators.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud had told this newspaper that a hidden security camera recorded the five-minute robbery and murder of Singh. The force’s Informa-tion Technology Department was allotted the task of enhancing the footage. However, there has been no report on whether this was achieved. Grainy footage has been a long standing problem for the force.
Days after the incident, two suspects were arrested. The men were subsequently released after a failed identification parade.
Just before midnight on January 8 there was a second fatal shooting. Vibert Weekes, 28, of North/East La Penitence, Georgetown was murdered by a mysterious gunman. He was shot some 14 times about the body.
Four nights later, on January 12, Nicholas Hoyte was murdered in a similar style at Sixth and Light streets, Alberttown. The man was sitting in his car when a car reportedly drove by and a gunman shot Hoyte about seven times about the body.
The Crime Chief had indicated that both men were suspected to have been involved in “organised crime”. No arrests have been made in either case.