Fight over ownership of cutlass ends in murder

One man is now dead and his cousin seriously injured after being attacked by a cutlass-wielding man.

Dead is Selman King, 22, of Wiruni Upper Berbice River. Injured is his cousin Shane Osborne, 18, whose arm has been severed.
The incident occurred at Kimbia, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) on Monday morning. The dead man and the injured man are cousins from Wiruni Village, Region 10.
Reports are the cousins were at a wedding ceremony at Kimbia and after it ended, they were invited to a location by the suspect’s brother. There reportedly were no alcoholic beverages available at the wedding ceremony, however, they went to the other location and were imbibing.

Toshao of Wiruni, Denzel Hartman told this publication that at about 04:30h he received a report stating that two residents from the village were injured in a chopping incident.
“One hand chop off clean and the next one get bad chop up,” he said.
According to the Toshao, when he arrived at Kimbia there was a crowd at the waterfront and he was told that Osborne was sent to New Amsterdam while King was lying in a boat.

“I shook him and he was not responding and then myself and his cousin took him to Sand Hills to the health outpost to get first aid and then we would proceed to New Amsterdam but there was no one there at Sand Hills. So, we just switch the body into my boat and we proceeded to New Amsterdam.”
However, King was pronounced dead when he arrived at New Amsterdam Public Hospital.
His father, Percy King, said he saw two wounds on his son’s body. “My son get a big burst over his eye and a chop at the back of his neck.”
Councillor of Wiruni Village, Van West Osborne, who is also the father of the injured man, explained that the cousins had been at the location when an argument ensued over the ownership of a cutlass.
The Councillor said he was told that his son and the man carrying the cutlass got into an argument, and during the argument he was chopped twice – his left hand from the wrist was severed.
“I tried to find out from people what really happened. What I understand is that there were two persons arguing over a cutlass; one saying that it is his own and the other saying that it is his own. My son, Shane, said ‘it can’t be both of you cutlass; it has to be one person’. My son Shane turn to him again and said ‘you think me is dem boy who you dose deh slapping up?’ The boy chuck he and he fall into the water and then the boy start to chop him.”
According to the Councillor, it was after this that King intervened and he was chopped several times. The suspect remains at large.
“I am calling on the authorities to look into this matter. The guy that do this here, I understand that he already did a murder before. Right now, I am grieving over my son. He is just 18 years of age and look what happened. Since I know him he has never been a trouble maker. I always try to council him as a father,” Osborne said. (G4)