Business woman accuses police of torching shop

Apr 03, 2014 News

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– injured brother thrown in lock-ups

Treslyn Williams, a businesswoman of Courtland Village, is accusing the police of burning her shop down, arresting her brother and placing him in the lock- up even though he was badly burn about his body. A medical report showed that the 53-year-old man, Conrad Giddings, a farmer, is suffering from first degree burns about his body.

The 36-year-old woman, who resides at 663 Courtland Village,   Corentyne, with her 78-year-old mother, 82-year- old father and two children, 18 and 15 years, is almost certain that it was the police who were in the vicinity and burnt her shop.
The shop is situated in front of the yard away from the house. The woman who depends on the shop as her only means of income is at a loss as to why her shop was razed to the ground.
Giving an account of what happened, the woman stated that her brother would regularly sleep in the shop. She said that she has been operating the business for close to two years and does not open on Sundays.
She said that she gave her brother the keys around 19:00 hrs to stay in the shop while the rest of the family retired to bed in the back house.  She said that around 02:00 hrs; she was awakened by her mother that police were calling outside. They said they were passing and smelt something like Marijuana. She said she told her mother not to open the door because it could have been anyone.
On peeping outside the woman stated that she noticed two policemen in uniform. She then opened the door and ventured outside. By then the shop was on fire.
Hustling to the front she saw her brother at the side of the shop with a number of cops around him. She said she then heard one telling the other to shoot him, while another was saying no.  Her brother was in his shorts and he was calling on her to bring his clothes.
Her brother told her that “the police burn the shop” before he was placed into a vehicle and taken away. She said that the police did nothing to help out the fire. By then residents had started to emerge and formed a bucket brigade.  A Fire truck eventually arrived, but by then the fire was already out.
Mrs. Giddings stated that sometime around 04:15 hrs she was called by neighbours and told that the police were in the burnt out shop searching.

When she came outside they hurriedly left. But she recognized three persons in the blue and white police vehicle.
Initially, they could not find her brother, but when they found him he was at the Albion Police station. He was taken for medical examination and the medical report stated that he has sustained first degree burns about his body.
She made a report to the second in command of B Division Senior Superintendent Stephen Mansell and Officer in Charge of Crime, Assistant Superintendent Gary MC Allister, who took her report and promised to launch an immediate investigation.
She lost everything in her grocery shop which was well stocked. She estimated her loss as close to $4M.
A neighbour, Monique Crandon, stated that she had awoken to feed her two-month-old baby when she heard the confusion.
She was still on her bridge when she overheard the police speaking on cell phone that they have finished the work they come to do.
The family is contemplating legal action.
However, the police had a different version. According to the police about 01:25 hrs on Monday morning  a party of police men were on patrol in the Courtland area when they noticed one Conrad Giddings whom they described as a known felon. He had a bulky bag on his shoulder which was suspected to be cannabis.
He was challenged by the ranks to stop, but instead ran away and entered the shop which is situated in front of his parents yard. The police gave chase and called upon the man to open, but he refused.  According to the source the man was overheard saying, “When I finish there will be no evidence or trace.”
Shortly after smoke was seen coming from the shop and the man subsequently exited the building through a window and run away. The police gave chase and the man was captured. It was then that it was noticed that he was burnt about his body.  The police stated that they immediately summoned the Guyana Fire Service while the injured man was placed in the police vehicle and taken to the Port Mourant Hospital where he was seen by Dr. Bovell and sent away.
He was then taken into custody and placed in the lock-up as investigations continue. He was subsequently release on self-bail following the intervention of senior ranks in the division.
An intense investigation has been launched following the allegations.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday just after he was released from the New Amsterdam Hospital, Conrad Giddings, 52, called ‘Mountain’ stated that he never experienced something like that in his life.
The man who is a father of seven, including three school age girls stated that he is a farmer. He farms further down in the village. He would sometimes sleep at the farm or he would sleep in the shop which contains a mattress and a hammock.
He said that he would usually retire to bed about 20:00 hrs.
On the night in question he was in the shop sleeping when he suddenly heard loud rapping on the door and someone was shouting police open up. He said that he refused to open the door, because he was not certain who it was. That went on for about 10-15 minutes until the bolts on the door were becoming loose.
He said that he was thinking of hiding or shouting out for help. He suddenly saw something come through the partially open door and then noticed fire on the fridge and mattress. The fire quickly spread on some combustible materials in the shop.
He said that he was in a corner in the shop with his boxers’ shorts on and was being burnt and had to jump through a window to escape.  “I jump through a window and drop down and the police still pick me up in my injured state and place me in the van”.
“They then called for the Fire Service and drove away with me in the Van” I was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital where I was treated. The police then took me to the Albion Police Station where I was thrown in the lock-up.”
The man, who lost part of his left arm in a motor bike accident over 10 years ago, said that he was released the next evening   without being charged.  His sister then took him to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was admitted for the night and given further treatment
He said that the police accused him of selling drugs which he does not know anything about.
Giddings stated that he lost everything in the blaze including $20,000, all his clothes a new bicycle among other valuables. The police were on the road whilst the shop burnt.

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