A gold miner is now dead after he was chopped about his body by a Brazilian and his stepfather during an alleged robbery.
Dead is 36-year-old David Atkinson, called “Long Hair”, of Kuru Kuru, Linden-Soesdyke Highway. The incident occurred on Saturday at the Guana Sand Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
Reports are that on Thursday, Atkinson, along with two of his co-workers, went to their employer’s “washing down” (final process of gold mining) of his dredge and afterwards they visited a shop, where they were seen partying.
According to Police, about 01:00h on Friday while Atkinson and his two colleagues were returning to their camp, the Brazilian man in the company of another male, alleged to be his stepfather, pointed a gun in their direction, threatening them, and then robbed them of a quantity of raw gold.
However, Atkinson’s two friends claimed that they managed to grab the Brazilian and disarm him. In the process, the other man fled the scene.
The trio reportedly took the suspect to their camp and handed over the firearm to their employer, but the bandit managed to make good his escape while the men were distracted.
It is unclear how Atkinson became severely wounded, but according to the Police, when investigators visited the camp, he was still alive.
Police said that he had an incised wound to his left wrist and multiple lacerations about his body.
Atkinson, before his death, told a Police Officer that it was the Brazilian, who he identified by name, and the man’s stepfather who “chopped him up”.
Investigators then transported Atkinson on Saturday morning for medical treatment, but he succumbed en route. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Bartica Regional Hospital.
Atkinson’s employer had told Police that on Friday about 04:50h, Atkinson and the other two miners visited him with the suspect, who they had tied up, claiming that he tried to rob them.
However, the suspect’s younger brother told the Police that on Thursday night about 22:30h, he, along with the suspect, was in their mother’s camp watching a movie when the now dead man and his two co-workers joined them.
The young man claimed that shortly after, Atkinson and the two men held him and his brother at gunpoint demanding that they hand over their money and gold.
According to the suspect’s brother, one of Atkinson’s co-workers dealt him a cuff to his head and he lost consciousness. He claimed that some three hours later, his stepfather arrived at their camp, and he related what had occurred. The older man is said to have left the camp in a rush in search of his other stepson.
Given the conflicting statements surrounding the incident, Police arrested all of the persons in the camp as they continued their investigation.
