Diamonds man allegedly chased, beaten to death

To Bethel Brackin-Gonsalves, her husband Anthony “Larbie” Gonsalves was the kind of man who would have travelled the corners of earth to make sure his family’s every need was taken care of.

On Saturday, January 10, the man whom she had been with for over 35 years and who was father to her four children, was killed in Diamonds Village.{{more}} It is alleged that he was chased and beaten repeatedly, following an altercation during a game of cards at a shop in Diamonds.

“I want justice for my husband. I really do. He didn’t deserve this kind of death. I know everyone has to die, but not like this,” a visibly distraught Gonsalves told SEARCHLIGHT on Tuesday.

And as she continues to mourn her husband’s gruesome death, Gonsalves says she wants one question to be answered – why?

“I just can’t understand why people [are] killing people like that. We are humans and we have families. You can’t expect to kill somebody just like that,” She stated.

Gonsalves said when her husband of 16 years left home that Friday morning, around 10 a.m., to go to the mountains, she never envisaged that it would be the last time she would see the man, whom she described as her “hands and feet,” alive.

According to the bereaved woman, she was at home, when around 2 a.m., she heard the sound of a horn honking. She said a man came to her porch and broke the dreaded news to her.

“I ask what kind of sad news you talking about and he told me to open the door. He say sit down and then told me they killed Larbie. I say what! I was wondering why and how. The person told me that he was beaten and stoned to death. That’s the news I got,” Gonsalves painfully recalled.

Gonsalves said she went next door to her neighbour’s house, where she had to be consoled. She said she stayed there for the remainder of the night, but could not sleep after hearing the news.

The distraught woman said it has been difficult to deal with the fact that the 54-year-old farmer would not be coming home.

“That’s the most hurtful thing. He was a good person and a man who cared for his family a lot. He was a hard-working man who never used to sit around and idle. Even if rain is falling, he will get up, get something to eat and head to the mountains.

Recalling the last interaction she had with him, Gonsalves said he came from the mountains early that morning and asked her if she had already eaten breakfast.

“He went inside, fried plantain and sausage and brought it for me, then we laughed. He took a bath and then left for the day.

“This man was 18 when we met and I was 20. He met me when I was two months pregnant. He took care of that child like it was his own and cared for her until she was a big woman. From that day, it was he I depended on. He took care of all of us,” she said.

Daughter of the deceased, Shalama Brackin-Williams said from what she’s been told, her father was coming home when he stopped off at the shop to play cards.

“When he realized they were cheating, they said he picked up his money and walked away. They started beating him and one held his hands behind his back. This is what one of the persons there at time said,” Williams stated.

Williams described her father as a man who wanted to see others doing something positive with their lives.

“He would encourage people to do things. He had so much ambition and had achieved so much at an early age. One time, he told a guy that his father had so much land and ain’t doing anything with it. Up to this day, the guy is now working lands because of daddy,” Williams said, while she stood over mother and placed her hands around her neck.

Reports indicate that although Gonsalves ran from his attackers, he was pursued and further attacked about 200 yards from the shop.

Williams also added that the family is annoyed at the manner in which the police have been handling the matter.

“All they ask was about the autopsy and they were asking us if we hear anything. They didn’t even tell us anything. They came to our home about 5 a.m. that morning. The first time my mother saw the police again was today (Tuesday),” the daughter said.

“The police are telling us the people telling them that my father came at the men with a knife. That really not making sense. Why then did he have to run for his life? None of these have any injuries or is in hospital,” an angry Williams said.

A post mortmem report revealed that Gonsalves died as a result of head trauma.

The funeral service for Gonsalves will take place next Saturday at the New Testament Church at Diamonds and he will be laid to rest at the San Souci cemetery.

Up to press time, five men were in police custody assisting with investigations.(KW)