A Corporal attached to the Guyana Defence Force was in the wee hours of Monday stabbed to death during a row over music at his sister’s wedding at Good Hope on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). Dead is 28-year-old Chaves Mangal of Enterprise Gardens, ECD.
The fatal stabbing was reportedly committed by four men who were armed with knives and cutlasses. Based on reports received, on Sunday at about 17:00h, the victim attended the wedding ceremony of his younger sister along with the suspects who were imbibing alcohol.
Murdered: Lakan Chatterpaul
During the celebration, the deejay reported stopped playing the music, thus resulting in one of the suspects approaching him to enquire the reason for stopping the music. Other celebrants also gathered at the DJ booth.
At that time, one of the suspects attempted to assault the deejay and the Corporal intervened. In retaliation, the suspect whipped out a knife and stabbed Mangal to his upper chest. In addition, another person who was trying to make peace was also stabbed to the left hand and bottles were hurled at him.
Not satisfied, the four men armed themselves with glass bottles and threw them at the building. Mangal, who reportedly lost consciousness, was picked up and taken to the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital where he died a few hours later while receiving medical attention.
Nevertheless, the 24-year-old deejay subsequently exited the yard and was confronted by one of the suspects who dealt him one chop to his left hand and relieved him of a laptop computer.
He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted a patient. The Police have since confessed that one of the perpetrators was arrested about five houses away from where the incident took place.
Upon his arrest, a search was conducted on his person during which two knives and a pair of scissors were found in his possession. He also claimed that he was attacked at the wedding house. He was also taken to the GPHC to receive medical attention.
At the home of the dead man, his mother Christina Kenson explained that her son was trying to stop one of the suspects from hitting the deejay with a bottle.
“All I see it had a boy and the deejay had a fight. The boy been ago lash boy what argue with the deejay and meh son hold he hand with the bottle not [to] lash the boy and one next boy come and bore meh son,” the woman cried.
Kenson further stated that the suspects were not invited to the wedding but showed up and started to drink and smoke.
“Them binna smoke up in the place and people feel uncomfortable, we see the crew in the corner and we ain’t tell nobody nothing, everybody come to enjoy themself, no fight, that we did want.”
“We never know it could be a fight,” the woman related.
After stabbing her son, the woman stated that the suspects started to throw glass bottles in the midst of the wedding which resulted in others receiving injures.
“It’s nuff of them, they start pelt bottles in the place.” The aggrieved mother noted that her son was not a troublesome person, but he did not like to be bothered.
“He was a loving person but he does get angry when people bother him, he don’t like see eye pass. He does stand up for he sister he does do everything for he sister.”
The woman is calling for the perpetrators to face the full brunt of the law while stating that it was extremely painful to see her son losing his life in front of her.
“I can’t believe what me see…I want justice for my son, I want justice for my son,” the grieving mother cried.
Mangal joined the GDF ten years ago and worked as a medical officer. He was engaged to be married. He leaves to mourn his mother, siblings, and fiancé.
Less than a week ago, 21-year-old Lakan Chatterpaul, an overseas-based Guyanese was stabbed to death at his brother’s wedding at Crabwood Creek, Region Six.
It was reported that the now dead man was stabbed to death during an altercation with three men who showed up at his relatives’ house during a party.
According to the man’s grandfather, they were having a get-together at his home when the three suspects walked into the yard.
After the suspects, who are from the community, reportedly began to smoke marijuana, the family asked them to leave.
The suspects left the yard and went onto the street where they began to destroy the vehicles belonging to persons at the party. As such, family members went to confront the trio and it was during the altercation Chatterpaul was stabbed once to his chest.
The injured man was taken to the Skeldon Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Two of the suspects were arrested while the third perpetrator escaped.
