FIFTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD Vernon Cummings of Ice House Road Timehri, East Bank Demerara is now dead while his friend, 41-year-old Phillip Solomon, also of the same area, is in police custody following a fight during a rum drinking spree.

The men, who were friends, both worked as labourers in the area. Sources in the community said that the men, who have been friends for years, usually consume lots of alcohol and on Wednesday they were doing just that while teasing each other.
At some point things got out of hand while they were on the docks in the area and they began fighting. Both of the men armed themselves. Cummings picked up a paddle and Solomon, a metal pipe.

They both dealt lashes on each other with the respective items and Solomon then lashed the deceased to the back of the head. The Guyana Chronicle was told that the men would normally assist the farmers in the area to load and offload their produce.

Police at Timehri have since arrested Solomon in connection with the murder. Police sources indicate that the incident took place sometime around 17:00hrs on Wednesday.