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AK-47 bandit invades Magistrate’s home
– escapes with booty after terrorizing victims
The magistrate’s house with the open verandah door through which the bandit gained entry.
The police have intensified their hunt for a suspect who is well known to them following the daring early morning robbery at the Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara home of Magistrate Nigel Hawke, early yesterday morning.
The man who was carrying an AK-47 assault rifle entered the home of the Magistrate, tied him up and after a scuffle with Hawke’s wife, attorney at law Donette Hawke, escaped with a laptop computer, a digital camera, two cell phones and about $400,000 in cash and jewellery.
This newspaper understands that the man who has eluded capture on several occasions, gained entry into the Magistrate’s home by climbing up an antenna pole into the verandah from where he walked into the living room through an open door.
At that time, around 00:30 hours, the Magistrate was in his bathroom, while his wife was awake doing some legal studies. The bandit walked through the living room unseen and proceeded downstairs apparently to open the door for who police initially believed were his accomplices.
However, he could not get the door open and went back upstairs where he confronted the Magistrate’s wife, who had heard strange sounds coming from the downstairs apartment.
He questioned the woman about her husband and where he worked, claiming that he had come to kill him.
Being held at gunpoint, the woman called out to her husband who came out of the bathroom only to be confronted by the bandit.
The man held the couple, who live alone, at gunpoint, and then ordered the Magistrate’s wife to tie her husband up. When the woman refused, the bandit himself tied up the Magistrate.
He then began ransacking the house while demanding cash and jewellery.
According to reports, the Magistrate’s wife took the chance to attack the gunman who appeared to be nervous and succeeded in wrestling his weapon from him.
However, when she pulled the trigger, no bullets were discharged, giving police the impression that the gun had no bullets.
The gunman later overpowered the woman and regained possession of his gun and threatened to shoot her while demanding the keys to the door downstairs.
It was eventually handed over and the bandit made good his escape.
It is not clear if an accomplice accompanied the bandit, but Mrs. Hawke did tell police that she heard voices in the yard.
Neighbours were oblivious to what was transpiring and it was only until the police arrived that they were aware that there was a robbery.
A police source told this newspaper that their operations room had received a telephone call about a robbery in the Non Pareil area and had relayed the information to ranks on a mobile patrol.
However, the direction given was apparently confusing and the ranks took some time to locate the Magistrate’s house.
By the time they did the bandit had already disappeared.
The suspect is believed to be a man who has committed several robberies and sexual assaults on women making their way home at night.
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