One of four bandits who invaded an East Bank business yesterday morning was killed and another critically injured when they were confronted by residents who formed five search parties and cornered them.

Armed with guns and pieces of wood villagers backed up by members of the community policing group hunted down the criminals who exchanged fire with them during a spine-tingling two-hour drama in the Sara Johanna backlands.

During the battle, 26-year-old Lester Barnwell, known as `Backoo' of Cato Street, Agricola, EBD was severely beaten and died on arrival at the Georgetown Hospital. His 19-year-old accomplice, also of the same village, was knocked unconscious. Barnwell was shot once in his knee and beaten by villagers who admitted that he was kicked, slapped and lashed before he collapsed in the canefield. His 19-year-old accomplice was up to press time listed as being in a critical condition He underwent an emergency surgery last evening. The other two, a 17-year-old of Mc Doom and a 24-year-old of Agricola were treated and are now in police custody according, to a police release late last evening. A police source also said that one of the three had recently fled from custody at the Grove Police Station where he was being held in a police investigation. Villagers found two guns on the captured men.

One resident said that had it not been for her the other three bandits would have died also. She told this newspaper that she begged villagers to spare their lives.

"We have suffered enough here, this is the sixth time bandits coming at our home and something had to be done," Seranie Singh, the victim of the attack declared as she reacted to the bandits' capture. Scores of villagers who participated in the operation later gathered at a roadside stall yesterday morning celebrating their success in capturing the men. They were also planning to be on high alert again last night.

Police in the release commended the "victims for their courage in

the face of danger and (recognised) the efforts of the villagers to curb crime in their area".

The pandemonium began to unfold around 5:45 yesterday morning when Singh went outside to tend to her chickens.

Singh and her husband Ronald Singh operate a poultry farm and grocery store at Pearl Public Road. She said at the time of the bandits' attack her husband was inside preparing to take a bath while she went outside to attend to the meat birds. She said she then saw strange movements in her backyard. On checking, Singh said she saw some of her dogs running in the direction of the disturbance. Curious to know what was happening, she took a look and saw four men in her yard. "I began to scream and holler and ran back inside."

            

Stabbed him on his right arm with an ice pick (right)

The bandits pursued her and caught her as soon as she was about to enter the house through the front door. Ronald recalled that on hearing the shrieks from his wife he picked up his licenced firearm and went to the front door. He told this newspaper that as soon as he opened the door to let his wife in he too was attacked by the criminals; one of whom stabbed him on his right arm with an ice pick. He reacted by firing a round in the direction of the three other men.

"I don't know how I ain't hit them, but I could have seen the three of them in front of me," Ronald, a remigrant from London, said.

According to him once he discharged the shot the three bandits fled to the back of the yard and the other one who was holding his wife freed her and he, too, took off. According to Singh, he picked up his shotgun, scaled a tower he has on top of his house and fired more shots but did not hit anyone.

News of the attempted robbery began to spread around the village and the sounds of gunshots alerted many residents. A woman who lives near the Singhs told this newspaper that she assisted in mobilising villagers to chase down the criminals. According to her, a young man reported that the bandits had scaled Singh's back fence and run somewhere at the back of her yard which leads to the cane fields.

While the villagers were organising, the criminals used a dam at Pearl, came out through the bushes and were about to flee deeper into the backlands. Some of them had already changed garments. One of the leaders of the five teams of villagers who pursued the armed criminals told this newspaper that residents reacted promptly and cooperated with each other.

He said when the bandits came out through the dam they met a farmer and his 25-year-old son. The group member told this newspaper that the farmer asked the men where they were going and they said they were going into the backdam. The farmer told them that the land they were on was private property and they could be charged if found. One of the bandits then hit the man's son in his eye with his weapon and they continued on their escape trail.

Unaware that they were being pursued the bandits headed for the cane fields during which time the farmer alerted villagers as to their whereabouts. On their trail, one team comprising 15 villagers followed the same dam the bandits were on while four other groups went in different directions covering from as far as Land of Canaan to the north and Pearl to the south.

As they pursued the bandits sporadic gunshots were fired as the criminals desperately tried to carve a getaway path. The group member said they kept behind the criminals until they cornered one of them who threw himself to the ground and was trying to crawl into a canal. Once caught, the group member admitted that they severely beat the man and stripped him of his clothing. The man was brought out of the cane field and as he walked in front of the tracking party residents beat him with sticks.

Villager, Iris La Bennet said the others had wanted to kill the man but she begged for his life. Once out of the canefield he was thrown onto the middle of the Pearl Public Road and was given another thrashing before being rescued by police.

In the meanwhile, the other groups were pursuing the remaining bandits including Barnwell. Residents said that the three men tried hard to dodge them and also fired several shots in their direction.

"But they don't know this backdam more than we, they ain't live here," one resident said. The men were finally cornered after residents surrounded them in the middle of the cane field.

They then proceeded to severely beat the bandits with pieces of wood in a 45-minute assault before handing them over to the police.

All four of the men were transported to the Georgetown Hospital in a private vehicle accompanied by police. Barnwell died on arrival at the hospital.

Back at the Singh's home, the family said they were fed up of Guyana and will shortly sell their property and return to England to live.

"What's next? I went through enough and I don't think I want to lose my life at the hands of bandits here in Guyana so we will leave," Mrs Singh said.

She recalled that in the previous attacks she was assaulted all over her body, noting that at present there are marks of violence on her skin. Her husband also recounted the many times he was beaten by criminals who he said have taken a liking to his business. The couple praised the efforts of the policing group and villagers, noting that they did an excellent job. According to the couple the villagers' response was courageous and prompt and their efforts must be underscored.

Policing group members said the capture of the criminals was mainly due to the fact that group members and villagers are licenced firearm holders and were able to take on the bandits who fired shots. The member added that the community was a close-knit one where most persons are related and unity is strong.