GYASI, 14, hero of Morvant

Fourteen-year-old schoolboy Gyasi Webster of Second Caledonia, Morvant, could teach policemen a lesson or two. On Thursday morning, urged by his grandmother to go and see what was happening to their next door neighbours Lloyd and Elaine Bailey, who were screaming, Gyasi looked out of the window and saw a man dressed in black running to the back of  the neighbour’s house.  Gyasi, who weighs no more than 100 pounds, didn’t hesitate. He rushed over and began chasing the man who had jumped over a fence and was running. “I ran behind him and threw a stone at him which caused him to drift a bit. having caught up with him, I began struggling with him, eventually capturing him.”

By this time others came to his assistance and managed to hold onto the suspect, who tried in vain to escape. Other Morvant residents, who by now knew that Lloyd Bailey was bleeding to death in the house and his wife had been stabbed in her head, rushed to Gyasi’s side and firmly held onto the man. The man was beaten by enraged residents and was only saved from more injuries by the timely arrival of E999 officers who were on mobile patrol in the area. According to the villagers, for once the police had responded on time, but this was a pity because they wanted to beat the man a great deal more.

Gyasi is now being described as the hero of Morvant for his bravery and quick response which led to the arrest of the 26-year-old male suspect in the killing. Gyasi has no plans of becoming a police officer, but wants to become a soldier. He is working hard at school to get the necessary qualifications for getting into the army. “That is my dream,” he said. He is saddened at the death of his neighbour,  but is glad that he was able to play some part in the arrest. He told Newsday if faced with the same situation again, he would do exactly the same thing. He is worried over the crime situation in the country and appalled at the bad name the youths of Second Caledonia have been branded with. He insisted that the teenagers of Second Caledonia are largely law- abiding.

“The only thing we do wrong is steal fruits or pelt dogs in the area,” he declared. Yesterday, Elaine Bailey, wife of murder victim Lloyd Bailey, highly praised the efforts of Gyasi which led to the arrest of the man. Grieving at the loss of her husband, she described him as a kind, loving, and god fearing person who did not deserve such a violent death. She said she had known the suspect since he was a baby, and remains shocked that he would kill her husband, and attempt to kill her. According to Elaine, 77, the killer attempted on two occasions to get into her home, but her husband refused to let him in. She said on Thursday morning he entered her premises unknown to her and probably hid in the yard. There was an accomplice with him. He and the accomplice pounced on her husband and began stabbing him in the chest.

When she went to her husband’s assistance the killer turned on her and stabbed her in her forehead. Elaine said she retaliated and jumped on the killer’s back and they began to struggle. During the struggle the killer released her husband and then attempted to escape. She began calling to her neighbours for help and began praying for God to spare the life of her bleeding husband. She wished it was all a bad dream, but is now facing the reality that her husband is dead. She expressed gratitude for the support of her neighbours at the time, and is calling on the Minister of National Security and Commissioner of Police to deal with the rising crime rate in the country. The killer is in police custody, but his accomplice is still at large. Morvant residents yesterday called on Government to give monetary rewards to Gyasi and other residents who grabbed the suspect.