By Chevy Devonish
A Plaisance businessman who was shot twice on Saturday night in what family members and neighbours believe was a botched robbery, died about five minutes after being rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
71-year-old Deryck Cox, also known as `Backatoo’ and `Broad Back’ of 71 Ramos Street, Plaisance did not live to see Christmas this year, nor did he live long enough to profit from the items he had stocked his shop with to sell for the Season. Deryck was the father of 15 children.
Ayodele Hall, the man’s great niece who was home at the time of the robbery told Stabroek News that sometime around 10 pm she heard two gunshots ring out, after which she heard the elderly man call out for help.
Hall’s residence and Cox’s shop/residence are both in the same yard.
Hall, who was at the time home with her infant child, said that she dared not go outside to see what was happening, if not for her own sake, for the safety of her child. Instead she says she called the man’s nephew, Marlon Temmott, who was at a dance not too far from the scene of the crime. She said that by the time Temmott had arrived the attackers had made good their escape, leaving Cox gasping for air at the entrance.
She suggested that the men’s easy escape was aided by the fact that there was a dance the same night which was attended by most persons who would usually be on the street at that time. She also suggested that the men tried to rob Cox during the dance for that very reason. “Nobody ain’t really went round so they had all the time to do what they had to do, de place did desolate,” said Hall.
Cox’s Grocery Shop, which also doubles as his residence, has three entrances; one to the eastern side of his shop, another to the front, which is also where his customers were serviced, and the other entrance on the western side.
One of the man’s neighbours said that as she was sitting in her yard she heard what sounded like gunshots. The woman stated that she asked a friend who was heading in the direction of the man’s shop where the sounds had come from, and was told that it sounded like it come from inside “Deryck’s” shop. After hearing this she says she and a few other neighbours rushed in the direction of the shop, and through the gate, where they saw Cox lying at the entrance of his shop yelling “help, murder.”
Hall explained that Cox would usually padlock the entrance to his shop while he was in there, but stated that a few minutes prior to the robbery; he was doing some chores in the yard. She said that the man must have neglected to padlock the door immediately after going in which allowed his assailants to sneak through the gate and into his shop.
“They try fuh rob he but he mussy fight back, he was a big man so they cudda never wrestle he and beat he, that is why they shoot he,” said the man’s great niece. Hall explained that Cox was a very robust man, and despite his age, he was still very active and worked out regularly. She stated that not only did Cox operate the grocery shop without assistance, but he could be seen fetching large bags of rice, sugar and flour while operating his business. Though Hall said there were two attackers, she maintained that Cox would have easily been able to fend them off, had he not been shot.
According to a police release, both spent shells were recovered at the scene of the incident. One of the man’s relatives stated that one of the shells was found on top of the freezer while the other was found on top of the fridge.
Both these appliances are quite near the entrance to the shop. Additionally, when Stabroek News visited the man’s shop, items which were stacked near the entrance were disarranged which suggests that the entire ordeal played out near the entrance.
Hall said that a few minutes before the gunshots rang out she heard what sounded like a bottle breaking. She opined that the man may have broken the bottle to use as a weapon in his attempt to defend himself. There was a beer bottle near the spot Cox fell.
Though the latest, this is not the first or second time Cox’s shop was the target of a robbery. According to Hall, Cox had been robbed around three times before. She explained one night she heard what sounded like zinc sheets being tampered with. The following morning they found that a few of the sheets had been raised up, presumably by thieves attempting to get into the shop. On another occasion, she said she heard a suspicious sound outside of her house.
Upon looking through the window, she saw someone trying to pry open a loose board on the shop. Both attempts were unsuccessful. This time however, the assailants were successful in breaching the shop, although the commotion seemed to have prevented them from escaping with any money or other valuables.
Hall said that Cox has been a long-time resident of Plaisance and had been operating the shop for well over ten years. She said that he was well known by the young and old of the village.
“Even to them lil children going to day care used to call out fuh `Backatoo’ on them way to school, he was such a nice man. I remember a time he did telling me how he get he nickname. He said when he did small and growing up he always had a broad back, so people just start calling he `Broad Back.’
Hall smiled as she recalled asking Cox where he had gotten the name `Backatoo.’ “He heself couldn’t remember when or why they start calling he duh, said Hall.
