‘Pharaoh’ chopped to death

MARISSA MYAL, the common-law wife of Matthew “Pharaoh” Polo, TT’s ninth murder victim for 2005, has no confidence in the Police Service holding her husband’s killers. “Everyone want justice, but justice is only a dream in TT. I will throw my confidence in God to do something about the men who killed Pharaoh. “Two years ago my uncle was shot dead by police, to date there was no justice, only promises. All I know that despite what people may say, Pharaoh was good to me.

“I did not know if he had enemies or why he was killed,  although I know there are those who would have been angry with him. “I do know he had changed his ways because of his family, he was settling down as he had already started clearing the land at Diego Martin outside my brother’s home to build a house. He should not of died so. “They caught him by surprise and he tried to protect his children. If he was only prepared things would of been different,” said a bold Myal. The father of two, who had several matters before the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court for robbery, shooting, wounding and other related matters, was recently released from prison after serving two years for chopping a policeman.

Polo, 34, was fatally chopped in front of his common-law wife and two children at her Upper Factory Road, Diego Martin home yesterday morning. The couple had been together for nine months (the second time around). According to Myal, around 3.45 am the couple was asleep at their Factory Road home when two masked men, one armed with a cutlass and the other a gun, kicked  down the front door, then smashed the partition where they were asleep. One of the men pointed a gun at Pharaoh and pulled the trigger several times but it failed to go off. The second man then dealt the former convict several chops to his head and shoulder despite his request that they take it outside, away from the children.

The bleeding man fell on the bed where he  died a short while after. Police sources told Newsday that Pharaoh, who is originally from Gonzales, Belmont, but had been hiding out in Diego Martin over the last nine months, was killed as a reprisal for some of his previous acts. Polo’s death is the ninth murder in eight days. Sgt Duncan is continuing inquiries.