Michael Grant

Grant’s sorrowing spouse,  Sharon  Datsun, recalling the circumstances under which he died, said the scenario at Demico House at this time presents a grizzly reminder of the morning she last saw him alive. 

It was raining heavily on the morning of Thursday April 16, 2009,  but he left the home in good sorts and promised his wife he’d call her later.  Before 9:00 hours he was dead.          

Tragedy struck  when Grant, who was removing a canister out of a dense accumulation of water on the floor in the wholesale store, slipped and fell into the water.

He landed heavily and hit the back of his head.  He was rushed to the St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital, but was pronounced dead a few minutes later.   He died without saying a word.

Like the scenario then, the present build-up of water on the land and on the floor of certain parts of  Demico House, following  intense rainfall in the city earlier this week, has forced the doors to remain closed, and so, for the giant beverage company,  it is not ‘business as usual’.

At midday on Friday last, the facility was still surrounded by water which seemed to be going nowhere,  and there was little evidence of business being done at the Quik Serv Restaurant.

At Idaho House in the west, one door was open allowing a few persons in and out. Meanwhile, on the northern entrance to the wholesale drinks depot and security station, a delivery van whose engine had been affected by water, was stalled.  There were sullen faces all around.

But at the home shared by Sharon and Michael Grant, at 993 Laing Avenue, the faces of family members spelt even more gloom and the void created was evident. 

This, she said, was compounded by the fact that, after serving his employers for seven years, he died on the job and she had received no benefits.      

This newspaper learnt that, at the time of Grant’s death, deductions were being made from his salary and paid to the now dissolved  Clico as Insurance. 

Following the quashing of the Insurance Company, Datsun said, she learnt that the monies were transferred to another Insurance Company,

The bereaved woman related that, she received no monies from his employers or anyone else, but, on making inquiries, was informed by his employers that they had paid his funeral expenses which amounted to about $175,000, and which turned out to be $90,000 more than he was entitled to receive from them, serving, and the difference would somehow have to be retrieved.

Datsun said too that the company is now claiming that his period of service amounted to just about four years.  This she stoutly denied, contending that at the beginning of last year, he was granted one month’s annual leave, a privilege granted only to employees, at his level, who would have served for five years or more. 
She however, noted that the Revenue Department and NIS would be able to pronounce on this.

Prior to taking up appointment at the Wholesale Liquor Store in Brickdam, Grant worked at the Banks DIH outlet in Kitty.

This newspaper tried unsuccessfully to get a comment from Grant’s former employers.