Man bludgeoned over misuse of drug money

Apr 14, 2009 News

…witnesses refused to intervene

A large crowd stares at the body of Victor Persaud lying on the road next to his mangled bicycle.

Police have detained a suspect in the death of 52-year-old Victor Persaud, called ‘Bugger Grip’ who was bludgeoned to death early yesterday morning.
Persaud, of Lusignan Pasture, East Coast Demerara, succumbed hours after a man with whom he had a heated argument, apparently over a misunderstanding over drugs, clubbed him.
His body lay on the road in front of his yard, sprawled next to his broken bicycle.
Police recovered a piece of bloodstained wood, which they suspect is the murder weapon.
The incident occurred around 02:30 hours and although several residents claimed to have witnessed the beating in the darkness, they claimed that they were too afraid to venture from their houses to help.
They remained indoors even as Persaud lay groaning on the road for more than two hours before he finally succumbed.

A neighbour who resides about a few feet from where Persaud’s body was lying, said that about 02:30 hours she heard two persons arguing but thought that it was the usual drunken row.
“People does pass hey fuh go home when dey drunk and dem does deh cussin, so me thought was that,” the neighbour explained.
However as the row persisted, she peered through her window and through the darkness saw two men scuffling with each other.

A detective holds a bloody piece of wood that investigators believe was used to kill Persaud, while other plainclothes ranks make further observations.

“I hear one ah dem seh, ‘Me give you me money fuh buy ganja and you spend am out pon cocaine.’ Dat was all we hearing. Den me hear like lash firing. We don’t know is who give who money but this morning when we rise up, we see dat man lie down deh,” the woman told this newspaper.
Because of the darkness she could not recognize the persons.
She said that she called the police 911 number but was answered by a rank from the Brickdam Police Station, who referred her to Cove and John.
However, for some reason, she got the telephone number mixed up and was unable to contact the police.
The woman said that after the attacker left, she remained in her house and for the next two hours listened to the groans of the victim before going back to bed.

The dead man bore a gaping wound to the back of his head.
He was described as a neighbourhood thief who would normally break into shops in the community and was recently held by the police.
Another resident said that he too heard the arguing and he also did not venture out of his house because of the darkness.
“Me just hear people cussin. One seh he go bun down house and all kinda thing,” the resident told Kaieteur News.
Police arrived on the scene around 06:30 hours and acting on information provided, they managed to identify the suspect who is assisting with investigations.

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