Bang! La Horquetta man shot dead

ONE MORE murder was added to the list as TT murder toll for 2004 continued its record run with the murder of a La Horquetta father of two on Saturday night. Dead is Denrick Joseph, 27, fondly called “Tunnocks.” According to reports around 8.45 pm, the well-dressed “Tunnocks” was standing on Kamaluddin Mohammed Boulevard, La Horquetta, 20 yards from his home on the same street awaiting transport to a wedding reception in Port-of-Spain, when a man walked up to him and requested directions to the home of someone else. As “Tunnocks” gave the directions the man looked at him and shouted “I know you, I remember your face, here take this.” And... bang... the shocked printer received one shot to his stomach causing him to collapse in the road.

Neighbours rushed the bleeding man to the Arima District Medical facility from where he was transferred to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where an emergency operation was performed. He died sometime later. When Newsday visited the family’s La Horquetta home his wife of seven months Annika Joseph who was at his bedside, explained that shortly before he died he said he recognised the man as one of the three Muslims whom he had an altercation with three years ago when they shot up the car he was driving. The woman further explained that she does not know who the killer is, but wanted justice.

Sister of the dead man Stacy Ann Joseph, a member of the TT Defence Force also demanded justice while stating she has already reported the situation to her seniors, and will use legal means to get justice. “You don’t ever get justice in this country,” she declared. Stacy Ann was however determined to point out that her brother was a warm, friendly, jovial person who helped any and everybody which led to his death. The proud sister also emphasised that her brother was no drug pusher or gang member. Further information revealed that following their learning of “Tunnocks” murder, his father who suffers with high blood pressure had to be treated, while his wife Annika fainted and his mother Mary who collapsed had to seek medical attention. A teary-eyed, still groggy Mary, supported her daughters’ call for justice and reiterated that her son was neither a drug pusher nor gang member.