Man doused with rum, set on fire

A Vermont man who was doused with rum and set on fire is calling on the authorities to act swiftly to bring the persons responsible for his pain and suffering to justice.

According to Calbert Andrews, a 24-year-old construction worker and farmer, on Monday at around 10 p.m., he was by a {{more}}friend’s place drinking when a man whom he knows well came up behind him and grabbed him.

“A boy name Congo, he come and hold me hand behind me back and push me and tell me I under arrest. He big and strapping, and he push me in a shop and when I reach in the shop, the shopkeeper pour a glass of rum and another man dash it in me face, and Congo he draw the matches and throw it my face and the fire blaze up,” recalled Andrews whose entire face was burnt.

He said that he tried to put out the fire with his jacket, but couldn’t, so he ran from the shop and put his face in a drain filled with dirty water.

“Me and he is friend, so I didn’t think is nothing when he pulling me in the shop,” said Andrews who revealed to SEARCHLIGHT that he and the shop owner were friends, but they fell out recently.

“She use to send me steal stuff, so she send me to steal a coco mill and she pay me for the mill, but me and the woman I steal it from were good friends… she use to give me anything, so I confess and tell she I take the mill, because she was kind to me and I told her. The woman go for she mill and she say she nah get it so, I feel that is why them burn me up,” explained Andrews.

“I in real pain, all when I talking it hurting me. Them stab me too. Right now to do everything is problem. Real pain I in. Real money ah spend right now and I want justice,” said Andrews, who is hoping that the trio is arrested soon and he can seek compensation for his damages.

“I can’t work to help self. I on my own. I ain’t have no kids, but I was working and I had to stop and I can’t work right now,” said Andrews who notes that a number of persons saw what happened, but are not coming forward.

Bridon Joseph, Andrews’ friend said that he is very upset about the way his friend was treated.

“Nobody lock up. If is we, we done get lock long time,” said Joseph.

“We been drinking and see the man arrest he, but I ain’t know what he dey on so I just left him cause them is friend,” explained Joseph who added that about 15 minutes after, he saw a badly burnt Andrews coming back to where they were.

He said that he got a ride for Andrews and took him to the Vermont Police Station then to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH).

“People see, but them not coming forward… I feel is how he little troublesome, but we want justice,” said Joseph.

This is the second man to be burnt by a trio of persons in April. On Saturday, April 8, at around 4 p.m. in Hopewell, Cuthbert ‘Mafia’ Victory, a 37-year-old mason from Caruth Village was scalded with hot liquid from a kettle.

His assault was recorded with a mobile phone and placed on social media site Facebook.

Pastor Nigel Morgan, his wife Althea and daughter Crystal were charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on Victory and placed on EC$5,000 bail. The trio is expected to stand trial at the Mesopotamia Magistrate’s Court on April 29, 2016.