A Speightland/Lower Kara Kara, Linden man was killed on Tuesday at Kokerite, in the North West District.
Alistair Crighton, 33, also known as ‘Sailor,’ had his throat slit by his teenage assailant, who was beaten by members of the community before being handed over to the police.
David Crighton, the father of the deceased, lives and works at Macaw Falls, 160 miles away from Kokerite, and it was there on Tuesday night that he received news of his son’s death.
The older Crighton said he fainted when he was informed of the murder and after regaining consciousness he decided to travel to Kokerite to confirm it for himself.
It was difficult to make it through the night but early the following morning with the cooperation of his boss and colleagues, the father said that he set out to the nearest police station, some 65 miles away, to confirm the information he had received.
At Moruca, where the nearest police station is located, he arrived a short while before police returned with the body of his son and the suspect in custody.
Police informed him that his son’s throat was slit, causing him to bleed to death.
The senior Crighton said he was told that his son came out early in the morning with two of his colleagues and they were preparing their equipment when two young men approached them. “One of them told my son and he friend that, ah gon kill y’all yuh know,” he related. The two apparently did not take the threat seriously. “In deh backdam dah is normal talk you know,” he added.
Crighton’s assailant, however, then picked up a bag and return and as Crighton turned around the lad slit his throat. His co-worker dodged the attack on him and fell to the ground, at which time he picked up a solid piece of wood and dealt the attacker a blow.
Realizing what had happened, residents quickly rushed to the scene and beat the lad and kept him until police arrived. By that time, Alistair Crighton had bled to death. After he was wounded, Alistair ran a few yards holding on to his throat before falling to the ground, his father was told.
He said that the police were very cooperative in ensuring that the body was taken to a mortuary and shortly after having the post-mortem done. The body was taken to Linden on Friday and funeral arrangements are in place for Tuesday.
At his Speightland Lower Kara Kara home, his mother and nieces were finding it difficult to come to terms with the death. Ann Crighton said that it was approximately three months since she had seen her son. Several persons in the close-knit community said that they will miss the man, who they described as very jovial.
