Sumintra Sawh called ‘Aunty Betty’, an 85-year-old pensioner, reportedly begged the two unidentified men who raided her home and took her life in the wee hours of Sunday morning to spare her granddaughter’s life.
Shaw, an 85-year-old woman was expected to celebrate her birthday today.
Sawh lived alone in a two-storey wooden and concrete house at Lot 131 Section ‘B’ Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice.
According to reports, around 3:00 hours on Sunday morning, two men dressed in black and armed with knives broke into Sawh’s home.
At this time, 37-year-old Roshanie Basdeo called ‘Mala’ was visiting Sawh. She told investigators that she is Sumintra Sawh’s great-niece.
During the robbery, Sawh was fatally stabbed. Her body bore six wounds: one each on both sides of the temple, three on the forehead, and one to the back of the head.
According to the report by Sawh’s great niece, about 19: 00 hours on 27th November, Basdeo said she and Sawh retired to bed. Sumintra Sawh went to sleep in the front bedroom and she (Roshanie Basdeo) went to sleep in the back bedroom.
Basdeo further added that at about 03:00 hrs on 28th November 2022, she was awakened by a male who was in her room and who had a knife to her throat, demanding money.
He then took her out of the bedroom, at which point she saw another male suspect with Sawh in her bedroom. Basdeo said the male took her to the lower flat, placed her in a chair, and tied her up with a sling where he remained with her.
She further said that while she was in the lower flat, she heard Sumintra Sawh saying, “Don’t kill me granddaughter”.
Shortly after, the male who was with Sawh returned downstairs and both of them searched the lower flat. They then walked through the north door of the lower flat which was open and escaped in an unknown direction.
Enquiries further revealed that Basdeo then untied herself and went to the upper flat to check on her grandmother, where she saw her lying motionless in a pool of blood on her bed, which prompted her to make an alarm.
She claimed that Sawh had a handbag where she usually kept her money, ID card, pension book, and other articles, and this handbag was missing from her bedroom. According to Basdeo, her grandmother had about $350,000 in the bag, of which she was saving to build her fence.
When Police ranks arrived on the scene, they saw the body of Sawh lying on a bed on her back. Blood stains were seen on the entire body and the bed. Six wounds were seen on her: one each on both sides of the temple, three on the forehead, and one to the back of the head.
The body was removed and escorted to Fort Wellington Public hospital, where it was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty. The body was then escorted to Bailey’s Funeral Parlour, awaiting PME.
Meanwhile, abrasions were seen on Basdeo’s neck and right hand. She claimed that the suspect had injured her. She was escorted to Fort Wellington Public Hospital and is presently receiving treatment.
Investigations are ongoing.
