Alleged burglar hospitalised after being shot by businessman

A man who is alleged to have broken into a local business place earlier this week is now nursing gunshot injuries to his abdomen at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.

Anthony James, a 36-year-old resident of Redemption Sharpes, was shot just after midnight on July 28, by proprietor of the Mahogany Square Bar, Earl “Groove Governor” Abraham.{{more}}

In an interview with SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday, Abraham said he secured his bar on Saturday, July 26, following a domino match.

The Mahogany Square Bar is located in the vicinity of the National Lotteries Authority Tennis Court at Richmond Hill.

“I left there about 1:15 a.m. the Sunday morning. Normally, I do not go back there on a Sunday, but … I had to go there in the evening because I forgot something,” Abraham said.

When he arrived at his business place at around 6 p.m., Abraham said he discovered that the place had been broken into and several items were missing.

Abraham said in addition, cases of drinks, food items and his stereo were packed up in an area and it appeared as if they had been left there to be picked up later.

“I summoned the police and made the report and everything. But the place was so damaged that I decided that I couldn’t get a workman at that time to deal with it and the things were already packed up,” he said.

That was when Abraham said he took the decision to stake out his bar for the night.

“I left and came back to the bar just after 11 that same Sunday night. Exactly like a minute after 12, I saw an individual jump the fence and proceed directly to where it was broken into,” he recalled.

“He did not even wait. He did not even look around. He just went straight in…”

Abraham, who said he was hiding in a dark area of his bar, went to confront the intruder, who he claimed lunged at him with a knife.

“I didn’t even know he had a knife, so then I opened fire and that was the end result,” the licensed firearm owner said, adding that he fired several shots.

He admitted that some doubt lingered in his mind as to whether the wrong man was shot.

Abraham, however, said that when the police went to burglar’s residence, they recovered his 32-inch television, a number of drinks, packs of cigarettes and other electronics that were taken from the bar.

Abraham said this is about the fourth time his place has been burglarised and that he has staked out his business place in the past.

“I confronted two guys before. I went and stayed there a night and they came in on me. All I had was a cutlass and I was able to scare them off, but this is the first time I actually caught someone,” Abraham said.

Abraham said he is the kind of man that is always willing to give, but noted that it is heartbreaking when one has to discover their business place has been vandalised.

“Persons know me. Nothing is too good. Once I have it, I will share, but don’t steal from me,” he said.

Police are investigating the matter.(KW)