Soesdyke businessman shot dead during home invasion

A Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD) businessman was in the wee hours of Monday shot dead after four armed men invaded his property and escaped with an undisclosed sum of money.
The dead man has been identified as 53-year-old Terrence Dickie also called “Jappy” of Lot 5 Public Road, Soesdyke, EBD. He sustained a single gunshot wound to his chest.
Based on reports received, at about 00:30h on the day in question, the four-armed men gained access to the building through a window that was left open in the lower flat of the two-storey building.

After gaining entry, the men reportedly woke up the dead man’s nephew, held him at gunpoint and instructed him to call out for the victim.
As the businessman opened his bedroom door, one of the armed bandits discharged a round, hitting him to the chest and causing him to collapse on the floor. While on the floor bleeding, the men shifted their attention to his wife.
They demanded cash and other valuables and out of fear, the woman handed over an undisclosed sum of cash to the men. Not satisfied, the men ransacked a room in search of more money but came up empty-handed. They then made good their escape but not before removing the DVR player from the premises.
When Guyana Times visited the scene, the dead man’s distraught wife, Loyola Dickie, explained that she heard the man’s nephew calling out to her husband and without hesitation, he got out of bed and went to enquire.

“When he opened the door, the men entered the room with gun and they seh, Police! Police! so he asked them to show identification but by that time, one of them come and grab me by meh hair and tell me pass all the money meh got,” the woman stated.
She explained that a few seconds into the ordeal, one of the bandits ordered his accomplice to shoot her husband and it was then, one single gunshot was heard.
“After that, they left our room and dragged me in the other room with the money and I tek out all we had home and give it to them.” The men then proceeded to ransack the room for more money. They came up empty-handed.
Nevertheless, the armed men collected the passports of the now dead man, his wife and daughter, after which one of the men, suspected to be the ring leader, made a telephone call.
“After making the call, he tell we to lay on the floor and they run downstairs,” the wife noted while adding that they ripped out the DVR player for the CCTV cameras.

Upon realising that the course was clear, the distraught woman and the other occupants went to check on her husband who was still breathing. She immediately contacted the now dead man’s cousin and related what had occurred. In turn, he contacted the police and without hesitation rushed the man to the Georgetown Public Hospital but it was too late.
The aggrieved woman is contending that her husband was hardworking and not someone who would get into trouble. She noted that they both worked hard to elevate their business and it was unfair for him to die in such a tragic manner.
As such, she is calling for the police to investigate the matter thoroughly to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Meanwhile, the cousin who took the businessman to the hospital recalled that he was at home when he received the distressing telephone call.
“I get the call like about 12:30h saying that they get robbed, so when I reach, I see Jappy lying on the floor… me and his nephew picked him up and take he to the hospital but as we reached, they pronounced him dead,” the cousin stated.
He noted that based on reports he received, his now dead cousin might have forgotten to close a window in the bottom flat of the house and it was there the men gained access to the house. “I can’t say who did this but according to what I hear, they were wearing masks.”
Meanwhile, one man suspected to have been involved in the robbery/murder was arrested and is being grilled at the Timehri Police Station. Investigations are ongoing.