Man found unconscious on roadside after beaten, robbed by bandits

Sep 22, 2020 News

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By Shervin Belgrave

A mason was on Saturday last found unconscious on a roadside at Kaneville, East Bank Demerara (EBD) after he was reportedly beaten with an iron bar and robbed by a group of bandits.
Currently paralyzed from the brutal attack is Yadunauth Lalgie also known as Richards, 49, of Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD.

The man’s relatives told Kaieteur News that the attack took place sometime between 18:00 and 19:00hrs.
They said that they questioned him about the attack after he regained consciousness at around 13:00hrs the following day.
In a video recorded by family members and seen by this newspaper, Lalgie said that he had left his Diamond residence that evening on his bicycle in search of cigarettes. He mentioned riding over a bridge and entering Kaneville in order locate a green shop on Fourth Street. Lalgie said that when he arrived at the shop it was closed and so he decided to ride around a corner in search of another shop.
However, he continued, his search was abruptly ended after he came under attack from the bandits.
Lalgie claimed that he could not recall how many bandits attacked him nor did he recognize their faces. He, however, remembered receiving a blow behind the head with an iron bar. He said that the hit cause him to fall to the ground.
The men then continued their assault, he recounted, by striking him repeatedly with the iron bar. He was also dealt several cuffs and kicks about his body until he was completely unconscious.
Although unaware of how long he was unconscious, Lalgie said that he awoke to a kind woman sapping his face and head with limacol.
It was then that he realized that his cash and cell phone were missing and his bicycle was nowhere to be seen as well.
He told his family members that it was the woman who made a call and shortly after police ranks arrived in a patrol vehicle.
Lalgie said ranks picked him up and placed him in the vehicle but after that he remembers nothing else.
The man’s brother, Tony, told this newspaper that he was able to confirm that an unconscious Lalgie was dropped off at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) by policemen.
According to Tony, his brother received severe injuries to his neck, head and face and these may have contributed to him being paralyzed. The man said that the family is awaiting the results of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to determine whether his paralysis is temporary or not.
Meanwhile, residents of Diamond, Grove, and Kaneville said that they are fearful because of the escalating robberies and attacks within the communities.
A member of the Diamond/Grove Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) told this publication yesterday, that news have been circulating about a criminal gang called “Hammer Head”.
The councillor said that most of the robberies that have been occurring in the area are believed to be the handiwork of the gang.
Theses robberies range from breaking and entering, ransacking of automobiles and stealing of their parts.
As of recent, the man informed, “it seems as if things are getting out of hand since the bandits are now robbing with violence.”
“I myself have been a victim,” the man added.
The councillor claimed that just last month he parked his car and truck at his residence and these were vandalized. The perpetrators, he said, escaped with a cell phone he had in his car and millions of dollars in mining equipment that were in his truck.
“There are many robberies that have occurred but persons are afraid to report them because of the so called Hammer Head Gang which might be responsible,” the man said.
Kaieteur News has also been in receipt of reports about frequent robberies that have been occurring in these areas, especially in the Diamond Housing Scheme.
Recently a Kaieteur News staffer woke up and found his car without rearview mirrors. Another resident of Avenue A, Diamond woke up and found her cars vandalized — tape decks stolen along with cash and T-shirts.
Recently this publication had reported of a robbery at Grove, EBD where a bandit shot a man in retaliation after stumbling over a fan. The gunman reportedly startled the man and his family who were asleep in their home at the time. The bandit, on that occasion, escaped with the family’s cell phones, ATM cards and cash.
Last week Thursday a group of young bandits were caught on camera, robbing and beating the driver of a water truck along a street in Kaneville. One of the suspects had thrown his bicycle into the path of the vehicle causing the driver to stop. They then circled the truck and attacked the man. The victim claimed that he was stabbed twice to the left hand with a sharp object and relieved of his cell phone and $1,300 in cash. Police later arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with that robbery.

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