Following the recent murder of security guard Barrat Dass, who succumbed in hospital days after his bloodied body was discovered lying behind a city pharmacy, the police have arrested the prime suspect and he has reportedly admitted to hitting the man to his head during a robbery.
Dass, 43, of Lot 242 Forshaw Street, Georgetown, was attacked around 10pm on November 5th at Medi-Care Pharmacy, located at New Market Street, Georgetown. His body was discovered early the following morning by one of his sons, who was making an impromptu visit. He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), where he succumbed last Wednesday.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Sunday Stabroek that an investigation is ongoing into the murder and several persons were in police custody. Among them is a man, who is deemed the prime suspect and he has since admitted his involvement in the crime. Sunday Stabroek was reliably informed that the first person to be arrested was a 60-year-old woman who shared an intimate relationship with Dass. She had visited Dass at his work place on November 5th, and she reported that he kept going into his wallet, in which he had about $100,000, to purchase beverages.
The woman added that a relative of hers and a male were also present and the male requested to borrow money from her but she told him she did not have any. Subsequently, she said, they left for home together in a taxi. However, the man exited the taxi at the corner of Lamaha and Vlissengen Road.
The prime suspect has reportedly told investigators that he and another man returned to Dass’ work place and asked him for the money but he did not oblige them. As a result, the suspect allegedly dealt Dass a blow to his head with a piece of wood, causing him to fall to the ground, after which he relieved him of the cash which he had in his possession.
Dass was a father of four.
At his house yesterday, one of his sons, Rajendranauth Dass, said that he learnt that his father was attacked during or after a drinking session.
“According to wah going on, is like somebody go when he done drink, peep he… because he wallet does always get a set ah money. Five thousand, ten thousand….I don’t know, they musse peep he, wait ’til he done drink and know he high and go and attack him and take he money’” Rajendranauth explained.
He said while hospitalised, Barrat was conscious but he did not detail what took place during the attack to him.
However, he added that his father did tell him that there was a camera around the area which captured the incident. “…He didn’t really say much. He say it was like two person and it got a camera that we can get,” Rajendranauth said.
Rajendranauth said that his father was not a frequent drinker but whenever he did, he usually did so for a few days.