– suspect suffered years of abuse from now dead father
A father of four succumbed on Sunday morning after his teenage son allegedly threw a cutlass at him during an argument at Ithaca, West Bank Berbice (WBB), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).
Dead: Collis Joseph
The dead man has been identified as 41-year-old Collis Joseph, a cattle farmer of Spencer Street, Ithaca. The incident occurred at approximately 07:30h.
According to information received, the now dead man and his 18-year-old son had a misunderstanding on Saturday during which they accused each other of using each other’s personal belongings and threatened to kill each other.
However, on Sunday morning, the two had another confrontation after which the teenager went home and was followed by his father. This led to an argument during which both armed themselves with cutlasses.
As the argument escalated, the now dead man threw his cutlass at his son, but it missed him. In retaliation, the son threw his cutlass at the father and it struck him in the right side of his chest. The man started to bleed profusely and collapsed.
He was picked up and taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The area where the incident took place
The now dead man’s daughter told the media that her father had left to go to the pig pen on Sunday morning and subsequently met her brother with whom he had a feud.
She explained that her 18-year-old brother who worked at a nearby rice factory reported that his father took away a bag of tennis rolls and a bottle of soda and destroyed them: “My brother come and say that his father chops up his things that he had to eat.”
He also reported to family members that a $1000 bill had also been torn.
The daughter further stated that when her father returned home, he discovered that his boots had been chopped. In a fit of rage, he left home and went to the house where her brother resides.
She added that her brother was seen sharpening a cutlass earlier in the day.
However, Celwin Creg, an amputee who lives at the same house with the teenager, told Guyana Times that the young man returned home and reported that his father had destroyed some food he was taking to work.
“I told him ‘cool you head and buy something and go to work’… just as I go to give him the money, I see he father charging coming and the boy go inside and lock up the door.”
The man said he cautioned Joseph, who insisted that he was going to kill his son.
“I told him, ‘be careful, it don’t turn around the other way and the boy will kill you’, and he said ‘alright, ah gon ketch he pon the road’ and he go out on the road,” Creg revealed.
Creg said he went into the house after which he heard a noise and came back out to enquire. As he checked, he saw Joseph lying motionless on the road in a pool of blood.
Joseph’s widow, Toannia Wayne noted that he and his son had an ongoing feud which forced the young man to move out.
“He and the boy does get problem every time he drink. When he drink he does beat me and the boy and he does got it out for that.”
She displayed several marks about her body that were due to injuries inflicted by her husband. She was also struck in the eye a few years ago and now has difficulty seeing.
Joseph leaves to mourn his wife and four children. The Police have launched a manhunt for the suspect who fled the scene after committing the act. (Andrew Carmichael)
