A young welder was on Friday evening stabbed during a row over a bottle of Guinness but succumbed to his injuries on Sunday morning while receiving medical attention at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
Dead is 23-year-old Nikosie Vankenie of High Dam Mount Sinai, New Amsterdam, popularly referred to as Angoy’s Avenue.
Dead: Nikosie Vankenie
According to information received, the incident occurred at Patrick Dam – another part of Angoy’s Avenue – on Friday evening at about 23:40h as the victim along with the suspect and others were under a shed consuming alcohol.
However, after some time, an argument broke out between the two men over a bottle of Guinness. The argument reportedly escalated into a scuffle during which the suspect armed himself with a knife and stabbed the young man to his neck, chest and abdomen.
The injured youth was taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he received medical attention and was admitted in the ICU. He succumbed to his injuries at about 09:30h on Sunday.
The 27-year-old suspect, a security guard of Pope Street, New Amsterdam, has since been arrested and is reportedly cooperating with investigators.
When Guyana Times visited the now dead man’s home on Sunday, his aunt Angilla Vankenie explained that her nephew was drinking a bottle of Guinness and put it down to do “something” but when he returned, it was not there.
“And he asked, ‘Who pick up my bottle’, and he responded saying, ‘Look the Guinness, I get it’, and then Nikosie tell him, ‘Me and you is not all that friend for you to pick up my thing’, and they had a heated argument.”
That, his aunt said, escalated into a scuffle during which the young welder was stabbed. There are reports that after the incident those who were present fled the scene.
Meanwhile, this publication understands that the now dead man could not find his alcohol and had accused the suspect of removing same. The suspect and the victim had an old grievance from another social gathering at Smithfield. During that incident, Vankenie had reportedly assaulted the suspect.
According to reports, on Friday evening, Vankenie mentioned the previous encounter and his intention was to have it repeated, instead he became the victim.
The aunt noted that following a nine-hour surgery on Saturday morning, she visited the hospital but was not allowed to see her nephew until Saturday afternoon.
“I break down when I see him because his condition was not looking nice. The doctor said that we need to get some injections and we went and get them then the doctor said that they need ten to twelve big batteries to put in some machine to pump the heart. The doctor said that he has stopped breathing and they tried to get his heart to work. So, every two hours they will have to put in a battery in the machine.”
The young welder was reportedly brain dead since Saturday. The former New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI) student leaves to mourn his three siblings and his mother, who resides in Antigua.
