Farmer kills labourer who reportedly burnt him with a cigarette

Gary Melville, a 46-year-old labourer of Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast, was allegedly murdered by a 23-year-old farmer from the same community.

The incident reportedly occurred between 20:00 hrs on Friday night and 05:30 hrs Saturday morning at Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast.

Enquiries revealed that the deceased and the suspect were friends and both of them reside in the area. According to a female shopkeeper in Lima Sands, at about 20:00 hrs on Friday, the suspect, the victim, and several others visited her shop, where they consumed alcohol. She stated that the suspect was drinking a bottle of High Wine, while the victim consumed 592 beers. Both men were seated at the same table.

She further stated that while in the shop, she overheard the suspect complaining that the victim had burnt him with a cigarette. A scuffle then ensued between the two men.

The shopkeeper said she observed the suspect bleeding from his head and saw the victim on the ground. Another woman intervened and separated the two men. The victim subsequently left the premises on foot, heading north.

Approximately ten minutes later, the suspect departed on his motorcycle, heading in the same direction as the victim.

At about 05:30 hrs Saturday morning, a 48-year-old woman from the area was walking along the Lima Sands Public Road when she discovered Melville’s motionless body lying on the eastern side of the road. She raised an alarm and alerted the police.

Investigators responded and observed visible injuries to the back of both hands, the right knee, both feet, and the face of the deceased.

The body was transported to the Suddie Hospital, where a doctor pronounced Melville dead on arrival. It was subsequently taken to the hospital mortuary, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.

Police later contacted the suspect, who had injuries to the left hand, head, and knee. He was arrested and taken into custody, then escorted to the Oscar Joseph District Hospital. There, he was treated by a doctor on duty and returned to police custody.