CI couple endure half-hour long robbery ordeal

Mar 15, 2012 News

“They keep telling me that they gun kill all two of us and then one of them put a gun in my wife mouth,” Victim

A Cornelia Ida couple was forced to endure a half hour long robbery at gun-point, after bandits on Tuesday

Robbed businessman Dereck Bacchus.

evening invaded their home and made demands.
According to reports, Dereck Bacchus and his wife Natasha Ephlall were attacked by three armed men at around 20:00 hours on Tuesday evening while entering their home.
Bacchus told this publication that he had just collected his wife from their place of business and was dropping her home when they were pounced on.
The men accosted the couple and forced them at gun-point into the house.
“Just as we pull up at the gate my wife come out the vehicle and I waiting for her to go in the yard and I notice three boys walking coming toward us but I didn’t take it for nothing until one run up to my wife with a gun,”.
Bacchus recalled that the two other men, who were also armed with hand-guns, ran to him and ordered him out of the vehicle at which point they were forced to open their house.
Once in the house, Bacchus said the gunmen “tied up” him as well as his wife and placed them on a bed.
“One of the men asked me where the big gold chain I does wear…I told him and then he keep asking for the money and the gold,”
Bacchus said that he initially refused to divulge where the valuables were, but after a sound thrashing, coupled with threats to the life of his wife they disclosed the location
“They keep telling me that they gun kill all two of us and then one of them put a gun in my wife mouth.”
Bacchus said that after the men were directed to where the cash and jewellery was, they helped themselves to the booty.
According to Bacchus, the bandits made off with a bag containing $500,000 in cash, and $200,000 in gold jewellery.
Another $70,000 in cash which he had on his person and $50,000 representing their income for the day was also taken by the gun toting bandits.
This publication was told that during the ordeal one of the men was constantly on his cellular phone giving directions to their get-away car.
“The car took like 15 minutes to come and all the time the men keep telling we don’t make noise and while they waiting for the car, one ordered the others to look for other things.”
The businessman said the gunmen then started packing up electrical appliances from his home.
“They took away two flat screen televisions, digital cameras, DVD players, cellular phones, sneakers, and then they turned off all the lights in the house and cut the phone wires.”
Bacchus said that after a while he heard a vehicle pulling up to his home and the gunmen fled the area.
He said after the men left, he managed to untie himself and wife and contacted the police who responded promptly.
According to Bacchus this is the third time he has been attacked by gunmen and it is becoming very frustrating for a young businessman.