Man chops bandit

A LONGDENVILLE couple is now seriously contemplating packing up and leaving the country, in fear of the spiralling crime rate and a revenge attack from four bandits, one of whom was chopped during a failed robbery attempt at the couple’s home early yesterday morning.

Interviewed at his home, a still-shaken Anil Kesso recounted his frustrations and feelings of helplessness, when, while the bandits were trying to force their way into his home, he called the police only to be told by an officer that no one could respond since the district police station was understaffed. Kesso told Newsday that it was then he decided to arm himself with a cutlass and defend himself and his wife as best as he could, from the intruders, two of whom brandished guns while the other two were armed with cutlasses. According to reports, Kesso, 28, and his wife were awakened from sleep around 12.30 am, by sounds of dogs barking and strange noises coming outside of their small Longdenville home. On checking, Kesso said he noticed the four men lurking near the yard at the front of  home. Kesso said the men stood outside his home for a while and then left. He quickly dialed 999, informed the police of the occurrence, then went back to sleep. Less than two hours later, at 2.10 am, the couple were again awakened from sleep, this time by pounding on the front door by the same four bandits, who were all dressed in black.

Kesso said he tried calling the E999 but to no avail, he said police at the 999 Unit referred him to the Chaguanas Police Station, who in turn referred him to the Longdenville Police Post, where officers at that station informed him that they could not respond “right away,” because they were short staffed and had no transport. Kesso then armed himself with a cutlass and waited. He said after a while, the bandits tried to unhinge the front door, but failed. They (the bandits) then used a small wooden bench to smash the front louvres. “After the louvres mash up, one of the bandits pushed his hand through the window and it was then that I ended up chopping him on the hand, I don’t know what was the extent of his damage, but it was just enough to send them running,” Kesso said. After the chopping, the bandits left the house and escaped by jumping a fence on the northern side of the house. Kesso claimed when the police arrived on the scene around 3.30 am, “nothing was done by them, they just asked some questions and then left.”

When Chaguanas CID officers arrived at 9 am to continue investigations, they took samples from blood which stained the louvres and Kesso’s cutlass. The samples have been sent to the Forensic Science Centre, Federa-tion Park, St James, for further testing. Up to late yesterday, no arrests had been made and police were appealing to all medical institutions to report anyone seeking medical attention for chop wounds to their hands.