A North West District (NWD) man was almost beheaded last Friday night during a drunken argument over cigarettes and the suspect and his wife were later arrested while fleeing the scene in a boat.
Police yesterday gave the dead man’s name as Mark Ashby, 20, of Mabaruma, NWD. The murder, a release said occurred at Port Kaituma, NWD.
Investigations, according to the release, revealed that Ashby was involved in an argument with a man over cigarettes during which he was chopped to his neck. He succumbed while receiving treatment at the Port Kaituma Hospital. The suspect has been arrested and is in police custody assisting with the investigations, the release said.
Stabroek News spoke with several residents in the NWD and was told that the dead man hailed from Aruka River mouth in Mabaruma.
One resident said that according to the information they received, Ashby and others were drinking at a shop located at Canal Bank, Port Kaituma when there was an argument. The resident could not see what Ashby was chopped with but said that the incident left him with his head hanging.
Stabroek News was told that because of the gravity of the wound, little could have been done for the young man.
This newspaper was told that police held the suspect and his wife as they attempted to flee the area in a boat.
Ashby’s remains are at the Port Kaituma mortuary while the suspect is expected to be transported to Georgetown where he will be charged with the capital offence of murder.
Disorderly murders in the interior have long been a challenge for the police and over the years they contributed significantly to the overall rise in the murder rate.
There have been seven interior murders so far this year. On February 20, Brazilian national Raimundo Gomes Da Silva, 41, was murdered at Black Water, Potaro.
Initial investigations revealed that Da Silva and another Brazilian man were imbibing at a shop in the area. Both men left and Da Silva was subsequently seen with blood on his clothing and was suspected to have been stabbed to his chest. He was taken to the Mahdia Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The suspect reportedly fled the scene on an ATV. Also on that day, Troy Anthony Burkett was chopped to death at Konawaruk. Investigations are that he and another man were involved in an argument during which he was chopped to his neck and other parts of his body. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Mahdia Hospital.
On February 22, Clive Cornelius, 23, of Imbaimadai was murdered around 08:40 hrs at Imbaimadai. Investigations revealed that Cornelius and another man had an altercation during which he was assaulted about his body with a piece of wood. He was pronounced dead at the Imbaimadai Health Centre. The 70-year-old suspect was later arrested and charged.
Venezuelan national Jose Lamon Valenzuela was found dead in a playground at Mabaruma, NWD, on March 11. Lawrence Leroy Semple, 33, of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown has since been charged with murder.
Lennox Heywood, 21, of Pitt Street, Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara died one day after he was stabbed at Lima, Five Star Backdam, North West District. Investigations revealed that about 22:00 hrs on April 20 Heywood was involved in an argument with a woman at Lima during which he was stabbed. He died at about 06:45 hrs the following day at the Matthew’s Ridge Hospital.
Then on April 21, 29-year-old Travis De Souza was found at Puruni, Region Seven with suspected stab wounds. Reports are that De Souza of Lot 13, Section C, Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, who owns and operates a mining dredge in the Puruni area, was asleep in his camp with his girlfriend when four men entered some time around 04:00 hrs and chopped him about his body.
