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Ann’s Grove man is the country’s first murder victim for 2015
By Romila Boodram
An Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD) mother is grieving the loss of her 21-year-old son even as
Dead: Errol Sydney Campbell
she starts the New Year.
About 15 minutes after the world rang in 2015, Errol Sydney Campbell, of Lot 23 Ann’s Grove, died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), hours after being stabbed.
Campbell, who had sustained a stab wound in the vicinity of his heart, succumbed while receiving treatment in the health institution’s emergency unit.
The young man was stabbed around 21:30 hrs on Wednesday, just a few corners from his home.
Kaieteur News was told that two teenagers have been arrested.
Police sources have confirmed that the two young men confessed to stabbing the 21-year-old during an argument which had its genesis at a dance in the village on Boxing Day.
According to reports reaching this newspaper, Campbell and his attackers got into an argument over the “lighting of flares.”
This newspaper was told that the 21-year-old asked the two teenagers, who were lighting “flares” at the dance, if they could continue their actions outside since he had a problem with his eyes, and the smoke was making it difficult for him to see.
However, Campbell’s request reportedly ignited a heated argument which led to a physical fight which later resulted in him being killed.
Yesterday, Shunay Goodings, Campbell’s mother, said that sometime after 21:00 hrs on Wednesday, she sent her 15-year-old daughter to purchase food.
Goodings said that her daughter later returned crying.
“I ask her what happened and she said that the two boys beat my son, stab he up and his step-father take him to the hospital,” the mother of seven related.
She added that her daughter informed her that while going to purchase the food, she met her brother (Errol Campbell) and asked him to follow her.
“She said that while they were walking home, she see the same two boys who de beat he before. She said that they were on bicycles. One of them was on the right side and the other was on the left side,” Goodings explained.
She continued, “My daughter said that one of the boys walked into my son and hug him like… and say ‘leh this thing done hay tonight.” My daughter said that she see she brother aint moving so she push away the boy and my son fall on his knee, the boy de stab he already… he walked into my son with the knife”
Goodings said her daughter related that after the young man was stabbed, his second attacker picked up a brick and threw it on him after which they left the scene.
Campbell, who worked as a welder, was rushed to the GPHC where he later succumbed to his injuries.
“Dem same two boys beat my son three times since Boxing Day. They beat him and now they kill him. Because my son does welding work, he does get arc eye so when the boys were lighting the flares, my son ask them to stop but they killed him for that.”
Arc eye or Photokeratitis is a common condition suffered by welders.
It is a painful eye condition caused by exposure of insufficiently protected eyes to the ultraviolet (UV) rays from either natural (e.g. intense sunlight at high altitudes) or artificial (e.g. the electric arc during welding) sources
Goodings said that her son had been suffering from that condition ever since he started working as a welder.
“I want justice. In fact, I know I will get justice because Justice Navindra Singh giving people 70 years and more for murder, so let them go there and punish. They killing people for no reason” the mother posited.
Campbell leaves to mourn his seven siblings and his parents.
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