Stepdaughter among 5 in custody for murder of Soesdyke businessman
As investigations intensify into the gunning down of Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD) businessman Terrence Dickie, the Police have arrested the dead man’s stepdaughter and four others.
The now dead man and his wife, Loyola Dickie, on their wedding day
Guyana Times understands that the stepdaughter was arrested late on Tuesday. A source close to these investigations explained that four other men from the community are presently being grilled at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the murder.
One of those men, Guyana Times understands, had perpetrated an armed robbery on the businessman some time ago. He was reportedly arrested after detectives had reviewed that CCTV footage.
He was subsequently charged for the crime. However, Police are exploring the possibility that the same man was involved in the robbery/ murder which occurred in the wee hours of Monday.
Relatives of the murdered man at the Timehri Police Station awaiting answers
“He was in the house before and he knew where the DVR set up was, and it can be that not to get caught, he removed it… We are exploring all possible angles, and once we have sufficient evidence, we will prosecute,” a source explained.
The lone person who was arrested hours after the crime has since given the Police an alibi which is being looked into. He reportedly told detectives that he was imbibing with some friends late on Sunday evening, and had become highly intoxicated. Upon waking up the next morning, he realised that he had slept on a parked minibus.
He has insisted that he was not involved in the crime, but, at the same time, he could not provide the Police with a valid address.
Fifty-three-year-old Dickie, also called “Jappy”, of Lot 5 Public Road, Soesdyke, EBD was shot once to his chest after four armed men who identified themselves as Police officers invaded his property on Monday. They reportedly escaped with an undisclosed sum of money.
It was reported that at about 00:30h on the day in question, 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, who is an immigration officer, 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 that hit him to the chest and caused him to collapse to the floor. While Dickie was on the floor bleeding, the men shifted their attention to his wife, from whom they demanded cash and other valuables; and out of fear, the woman handed over an undisclosed sum of cash to the men.
Not satisfied with their booty, 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.
The man was later picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
