A FATHER and mother are left to mourn the loss of their son, Noel Singh, a young fisherman of Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD), who was fatally stabbed in front of his house, on Sunday evening.

The 22-year-old fisherman, who lives with his father, was killed by a 20-year-old resident of Ocean Garden, Meten-Meer-Zorg. “I bin inside when my son went outside…somebody come in and tell me come see what happening, somebody ah beat am (Noel) up,” said Noel’s father, Dennis Singh in an invited comment, on Monday.

Dennis said he rushed outside and saw Noel and the suspect tussling in a nearby drain, but when he attempted to intervene, the suspect ran away. “When I go to pick up Noel he couldn’t even talk because of how he get stab up,” said the victim’s father, adding that his son was stabbed about three times in his chest, close to his heart.
Dennis’ neighbours, after hearing calls for help, rushed to the scene and managed to take Noel to the Leonora Cottage Hospital. Noel was, however, pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

When asked what could have prompted the tussle between his son and the suspect, Dennis said he does not know, but noted that the assailant would often throw bottles at their house and trouble persons in the community.

Noel’s mother, Nesha Singh, who lives a few houses away from Dennis, also said that the assailant would often cause trouble in the community. “Brafee (suspect’s nickname) and he friends them does deh riding through the area with knives and always picking trouble with people,” said Nesha, adding that just Saturday, the assailant and his friends were riding through the community.

The distraught mother was still baffled as to why someone would kill her son because she said Noel would often be out at sea and would never interfere with anyone.
Nesha, who was in tears, said: “he was a quiet boy I don’t know why somebody would do that to him…five years now he working out at sea and he would never trouble anybody so I don’t know why.” Both Nesha and Dennis said their son was a hardworking person, who would always help them financially or in any other way possible.

Although Noel’s parents were unsure as to why he was killed, a report from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said the victim and the suspect had a misunderstanding about six days ago. The police said the suspect had assaulted the victim. “On the date and time mentioned the victim and the suspect had an argument and the suspect stabbed him several times about his body,” said the police. The suspect is yet to be apprehended, but the police had confirmed that investigations into the matter are ongoing and the suspect was being sought.