A Bushlot, West Coast Berbice woman was yesterday fatally stabbed during a robbery at her house reportedly by two bandits who entered through the kitchen door which had been left open.
Dead is Sumintra Sawh, also known as `Aunty Betty’, 85, of Lot 131 Section ‘B’ Bushlot Village, West Coast Berbice. According to neighbours, the woman would have celebrated her birthday yesterday.
Her body was found on her bed with six stab wounds – one each on both sides of her temple, three on the forehead, and one to the back of the head.
Stabroek News was told that Sawh resided alone following the death of her husband a few years ago. However, her granddaughter, Roshanie Basdeo, 35, who lives in the same village would spend the evenings with her.
According to information gathered, Basdeo reported that sometime around 3 am yesterday, two masked men entered the house and took her to the lower flat while Sawh was left in the upper flat where she would normally sleep.
Basdeo said that she was awakened by a male who was in her room and who had a knife to her throat, demanding money.
A statement from the Guyana Police Force said that Basdeo related that he then took her out of the bedroom, at which point she saw another male suspect with Sawh in her bedroom. Basdeo said the male took her to the lower flat, placed her in a chair, and tied her up with a sling where he remained with her.
She further said that while she was in the lower flat, she heard Sawh saying, ‘Don’t kill me granddaughter.’
Shortly after, the male who was with Sawh returned downstairs and both of them searched the lower flat. They then walked through the north door of the lower flat which was open and escaped with a bag containing $350,000 in cash and the woman’s personal documents. Basdeo said that the woman was saving the money to repair her fence.
Basdeo then untied herself and went to the upper flat to check on her grandmother, where she saw her lying motionless in a pool of blood on her bed.
According to the police’s report, abrasions were also seen on Basdeo’s neck and right hand as she said that the bandit had injured her.
Commander of Region Five, Kurleigh Simon yesterday told Stabroek News that while they do not have any suspects they are working on several leads.
Residents in the area were left in a state of shock following the news yesterday morning. They described the woman as a quiet person who would always be sitting on her veranda looking out onto the street.
