Much has been said, written, whispered, speculated and argued about since the untimely demise of reputed homeless man, Albert John. Yet, there are so many questions which have been left unanswered following a post-mortem that concluded John died from natural causes.
John’s family has opted to retain the services of attorney-at-law Verla DePeiza to seek further answers.
According to Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce, Albert John, 62, died on Sunday, November 3. A day earlier, he was involved in a heated exchange with relative Andre Allen, in Bridgetown, about a missing bag of money. During their argument, an unknown individual struck John in his back with a piece of wood. John ran off and was chased by the person.
The homeless man was treated at the hospital and doctors said there were superficial injuries on his hands, thigh and side. He was told to return for treatment in a week but he never did.
A week after the incident, John was found lying on White Park Road and an ambulance was summoned. The emergency personnel noted there were some healing wounds on the body. John said he was in pain and his groin and penis were hurting. At the hospital, while being examined, John said he was having difficulty breathing. The medical personnel noted his glucose level was very low. He went into cardiac arrest and passed away.
On November 13, a post-mortem was conducted and according to Commissioner Boyce, it confirmed there were some healing wounds. But the significant things that came out from the examination of the body were an enlarged scrotum and penis. He also had a very tender stomach and it was found that he had tremendous inflammation in the body.
Commissioner Boyce said at a press conference earlier in the week: “The intestines, the scrotum area, those areas were starting to decay. The post-mortem continued and the whole body was photographed, scratches and other things were noted, and the pathologist came to the conclusion, having examined the body, that there was heavy, heavy evidence of gangrene, sepsis [blood poisoning] and other conditions relating to decaying aspects of his body.”
The conclusion was that John’s death was related to those things.
With reports that John had been beaten before his death, Commissioner Boyce also addressed that issue: “These injuries were deemed as non-life threatening in that they were not that grave or serious in terms of his mental condition and health condition because they were not of the magnitude that could have brought on the death of the deceased.”
John’s family is not satisfied with those answers, however, and wants a coroner’s inquest into the matter.
The question his family and others may want answered is whether the “superficial and non-life-threatening injuries” accelerated his already weakened state and caused his death. And if so, will the person who inflicted those injuries on him be found and brought to justice?
Several have called for a full probe. Kemar Saffrey, founder of the Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness, has urged witnesses to the beating to come forward with information.
“I don’t think that needs to go unpunished. It needs swift justice, and I am calling on the public – those who witnessed it, have video footage, or can assist the police – to step forward,” he pleaded.
DePeiza, speaking on behalf of the John family, responded to Commissioner Boyce’s public statements. She has already written to the coroner requesting an inquest.
“The family finds the report of the Commissioner of Police to be alarming. The nature of the injuries is particularly distressing. They are committed to having, first, a coroner’s inquest and to raise the funds necessary for an independent assessment of the body,” she told Barbados TODAY.
Commissioner Boyce has indicated that police investigations are still ongoing.
We await the outcome of the probe, hopeful that John’s family get the answers they are seeking and that justice is fully served.
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