Sharpe – ‘I was beaten because me say Labour’

Unity Labour Party (ULP) supporter Randy Sharpe of Lowmans Windward was allegedly badly beaten last Monday afternoon when he uttered the word “Labour” in the presence of a group of men, said to be supporters of the New Democratic Party (NDP).{{more}}

The 28-year-old man told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday that he was at Shearman’s bus stop in Lowmans Windward at approximately 5 p.m. when he was attacked by six men, who chopped him with a cutlass about his body and beat him with sticks. He received five cuts: one to his head, one on each of his hands, and the other on his left leg.

When asked why was he beaten, he responded: “Because me say Labour.”

“All ah we been under the shed there and they just jump on me right so and start to fight me,” Sharpe recalled.

“I did just feel like saying Labour,” said Sharpe.

On the issue of justice, he said he wants the “police to lock them up.”

The young man said he is not afraid of the men individually, but because they attacked him as a group, he had to run for refuge.

Sharpe told SEARCHLIGHT that he suffers from a mental condition and is worried that he could be affected by the chop to his head.

Hyacinth Clarke, Sharpe’s sister, told SEARCHLIGHT that she wants justice for her brother.

She said that she was at home when her brother came and told her about the incident.

“To me I ain’t think that is right, what they do him. I think whosoever do Randy that, I think they should be brought to justice. They should not have abused Randy like that because he has his mental problem,” said Clarke.

ULP candidate for South Central Windward, Saboto Caesar, commenting on the issue, said he had heard about the incident approximately two to three hours after it occurred and advised that it be reported promptly to the Biabou Police Station, which is responsible for the division in which the incident took place.

“I also advised that the health of the person who received the chops is sorted out first and that he is taken to a clinic,” said Caesar, noting that Sharpe was taking to the Mesopotamia Health Centre that very evening.

Caesar said the matter is now being investigated by the police.

Caesar contended that he would not speak about the facts surrounding the incident. However, there are two important things coming out from it.

“Firstly, this is the second or third in a line of acts of political violence of which the NDP has been accused,” said Caesar, noting that there was also an incident that took place in his constituency on Tuesday night, where a truck that was doing whistle stops in Mt. Grennan had its windshield smashed by an open supporter of the NDP. He said that truck had a photo of Saboto Caesar stuck on it. He added that persons who are open supporters of the NDP started to stone the truck and as a result, one individual was hospitalized.

“These acts of violence must not be condoned under any circumstance,” said Caesar.

He said while on the ground, he is seeing instances of intimidation by supporters of the NDP.

Caesar said he had received a complaint from a man in his constituency, who has a history of mental illness, that his mother and sister had threatened to carry him to the Mental Health Centre if he would not be voting for the NDP.

“That is an act against his democratic rights,” said Caesar, adding “these are acts of desperation in a heightened political tension.”

“I really want to advise our nation that we have to maintain control. I’m advising the ULP supporters not to be intimidated because definitely I am seeing from those… incidents the NDP supporters appear to have a course of conduct where they want to intimidate persons who are opposing them,” said Caesar.(HN)