Man dies days after thrashing

Aug 11, 2014 News

– Drinking “buddy” in police custody

By: Romila Boodram

A 53-year-old man, who was brutally beaten with a piece of wood, allegedly by his drinking “buddy” last Wednesday, succumbed to multiple injuries at the West Demerara Regional Hospital on Saturday.

Dead: Ayube Khan

Ayube Khan, of Lot 29 Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara (EBD) died around 06:15 hrs, one day after he was discovered in a clump of bushes at the front of the suspect’s yard, where he was reportedly left to die.
His attacker, who has been identified as Derrick Gocool, was arrested on Saturday at a “rum shop”, just a stone’s throw from his Canal Number One home.
A piece of wood, which police believed was used to attack Khan, was found in the suspect’s yard, not far from where the dead man was discovered lying.
The duo lived a short distance away from each other and are said to be distant relatives.
At Khan’s home yesterday, his wife, Chanrutie (her only name) explained that her husband left home around 19:00 hrs on Wednesday to collect cigarette from Gocool, but never returned.
She explained that when Thursday passed and her husband did not return home, she did not worry, since she thought that he was under the influence of alcohol and decided to “sober up” before returning home.
“I thought the two of them drunk and sleep right there because earlier I was talking that I don’t want any drunk people here at my house, so when he didn’t come home the Thursday, I say he must be drunk…I didn’t think something like this would happen,” Khan’s wife related.
She further explained that early on Friday, a young man who resides next to the suspect called and informed her that her spouse and Gocool were involved in an argument late Wednesday.
“He said that he hear the big argument and after sometime, the loud sounds died down. He said that he didn’t think it was anything serious, that is why he didn’t tell me earlier,” Chanrutie recalled.
She added that she immediately sent two children to the shack Gocool lived in to confirm whether the news she received was true.
It was then the shocking discovery of Khan’s body was made.

This is where Khan was found in an unconscious state

“The children come and tell me that they see him lying in the bush and he got blood all over his skin but like it was still hard to believe so I sent the man who lives at the back of me and he come back and tell me that we have to hurry up and take Khan to the hospital,” a devastated Chanrutie said.
She added that with the help of relatives, they removed an unconscious Khan from where he was lying and took him home, where they washed off the blood from his skin and later took him to the hospital.
“His head was bleeding and his whole skin had blood. He had some brands on his hands and back,” the wife said.
She added that “Derrick does come by me and eat and when he don’t come, my husband does take food over for him so for him to do something like this to my husband is cruel.”
Khan leaves to mourn his wife and four siblings.