A 40-year-old prisoner who was on remand for trafficking 1.9 grammes of cannabis is now dead after another inmate allegedly wrapped a brick with a towel and used it to attack him while he was asleep.
Dead is Victor Soomaru of Lot 85 Gordon Street, Kitty, Georgetown, who had been admitted to the Lusignan Prison, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Monday (February 1, 2021).
According to a statement from the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), round 21:05h on Thursday (yesterday) an alarm was raised prisoners housed in Unit #1 at the Lusignan Prison (Quarantine Section) raised an alarm and the officers on duty responded to their cries.
They were told that another prisoner who was on remand used a piece of brick wrapped in a towel to “lash” Soomaru while he was sleeping.
The now dead man was immediately taken out of the Unit and rushed to the Prison Infirmary where he obtained the necessary medical attention but was later referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPH) for further medical treatment
However, despite the battle for his life, around 10:30h on Friday (today), Soomaru succumbed while receiving medical attention at the GPHC.
HGP Nightly News understands that at the time of the attack, Soomaru had been housed in Unit # 1 along with three (3) other prisoners including the alleged accused.
His body was taken to the GPHC’s mortuary where it awaits a Post-Mortem Examination (PME).
Meanwhile, the suspect has been relocated while investigations continue.
