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Godfrey Cumberbatch.
Godfrey Cumberbatch.

A man was shot in the head and killed in Glen Thursday morning, one week before a scheduled court appearance in connection with a drug bust.

Dead is Godfrey Cumberbatch, a 42-year-old sea captain of Glen, who was on EC$100,000 bail.

He was shot and killed in Glen around 1 a.m. Thursday

Cumberbatch is one of six men who were granted EC$100,000 bail each in connection with a 2,000-pound marijuana bust in Chateaubelair on Feb. 20.

The men were arrested and charged with possession of 907,546 grammes of cannabis, with intent to supply to another and 3,632 grammes of cannabis, with intent to supply to another and 907,546 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of drug trafficking.

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The other men are Daniele Baptiste, 32, a labourer of Petit Bordel; Calvert Prince, 46, a farmer of Petit Bordel; Rajiv Deshong, 28, unemployed of Redemption Sharpes; Ezekiel Robin, 33, a fisherman of Clare Valley; and Denzil Sam, 26, unemployed of Ottley Hall.

When they appeared in court on March 3, they were ordered to surrender all travel documents and to report periodically to police stations in Kingstown, Questelles, Calliaqua and Chateaubelair.

A preliminary inquiry was scheduled for June 19.

7 replies on “Accused drug runner gunned down one week before court hearing  ”

  1. Watching Hard says:

    I think we can now officially call this an epidemic. What steps are the Government and civil society groups/organisations taking to help stem these murders? Are we just going to sit and twiddle our thumbs? Are we not concerned as a society about the degeneration in social mores that is taking place? Is this now the new normal? Is any public official/entity going to address the public on these issues? Are we satisfied with this? Are we powerless or are we powerful? What would we rather be? Does being powerful entail sitting on our asses and saying “oh the same thing is happening everywhere else”? Are we going to act as a responsible nation or have we still not grown up yet?

  2. Seems like SVG may need some kind of protection system for folks involved in pending drug & murder related court cases.

  3. What was the motive for this killing? There was no reports from the police relative to this hit. SVG use to be a safe place but we are seeing how drugs and guns are destroying the lives of citizens. What is being done to curb these violent crimes?

  4. Watching hard. More and more gun and drug related crimes are taking place and plaguing our sweet island. And I agree with the questions you are asking. But one thing though, you are asking everyone what they are going to do except you. What are you going to do as a vincentian to help curb this situation. But I do understand and hear your cry. But sometimes it starts with one individual. And I am speaking as part of a community group and I actively take part in the pan against program. So before you ask me the same question, that’s the little that I do. But more is needed. So tell me what step you going to take as an individual.

  5. C. ben-David says:

    If the United States, Trinidad, Jamaica, etc., can’t prevent drug-related murders, how can little St. Vincent do so?

    The problem is the criminalization of drug use. The only solution is decriminalization.

    Let freedom ring: adults should have the right to do whatever they like to their bodies as long as this doesn’t hurt other people.

    The use of most of these substances was not the subjejct of state control for most of human history.

  6. OH, there is action on that front already. Baby Doc wants farmers to plant marijuana to replace banana. He will surely want his father to decriminalize the use of the product. He’s a ganja man and SVG may soon be in more dodo if his father was to win another term.
    There will be more killings and people will be trembling in their boots, because no one knows who will be next in line, to be killed. These killings and stolen money problems for this government is reason enough to throw them out.
    Please Mr. Prime minister, call the election now, so Vincentians can once more be at peace.

  7. Watching Hard says:

    K I commend you on you playing your part in the fight against crime. Obviously my comment is not addressed to people like yourself. It’s addressed to those who simply throw their hands in the air and say “Oh there’s nothing that we can do”. For my part, my family has a long history of informally taking in kids to live with us who are at risk or in vulnerable situations. I myself have mentored these kids as best as I could and tried to get them to recognise what their true choices in life are. I think it has made a difference. I think I’m a good example and young people look up to me. No I am not part of a community organisation, but I don’t believe that one is unable to effect change merely because they are not part of an organisation. I am a part of the society.

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