The excitement of an overseas-based son visiting home was short-lived for the relatives of 36-year-old Leon Hescott, after he was fatally shot and killed during a suspected robbery at Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown, on Friday evening.
Hescott called “Dudu” was shot at about 19:00h in an abandoned yard near his La Penitence, Georgetown house. The clothes vendor had recently returned from French Guiana and according to relatives, he was here to renovate his father’s house at Lot 155 Middle Road, La Penitence.
When Guyana Times visited the home of Wilfred Thomas, the dead man’s father, he explained that he had just returned home from a day’s work when a grandson informed him of the shooting. He further related that upon arrival at the scene, which is not too far away from where he lives, he saw his son’s bloody body lying lifeless.
“When I come home, my grandson come and tell me they shot up Dudu just now out there. By time I left and go there I see my son lying down now bleeding from his head, because they shot him in his head…anyhow he had a friend there and he tek he money and keep it, he de come back fuh build this house so somebody had to [do] duh fuh get the money,” Thomas said.
The grieving father explained that it is hard to lose a child, adding that his son is married and has three children. The father also claimed that his son does not have a criminal record, but Police records showed that Hescott was charged in 2007 for robbing a Belgium dealer of $90 million worth of diamonds. Reports from 2007 had stated that on March 2, 2007, Hescott along with another, while armed with a gun, had robbed Karim De Toledo of $90 million in diamonds and $350,000. It was alleged that the diamond dealer was about to enter a restaurant in Kitty, Georgetown, when the incident occurred.
Meanwhile, Hescott’s sister told Police that at about 15:00h, her brother left the house with a sum of foreign currency. She said she later received information that he was shot and robbed.
A suspect has since been taken into custody as Police continue their investigations.
