Residents beg for more police patrols after Diamond Village murder

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Construction worker Akeem Marlon Newton was playing with his baby when his friend called out and he went with him.

Newton, 30, also known as Marly Man, never returned to his Picton Settlement, Diamond Village, San Fernando home. He was shot multiple times in a nearby house by a man who then ran off.

Investigators have ruled out robbery as a motive. His murder occurred just two days after Rampiarie Parbhoo, 64, who lives a few houses away from Newton’s home, was shot.

Fearing that the violence in the community might get worse, residents are pleading with the police for regular police patrols in the community. According to a police report, around 4.30 pm on Thursday Newton was with a group of men liming in an unfurnished apartment under a house when a masked gunman approached and fired several shots, striking Newton twice. He died at the scene. Yesterday, Newton’s uncle Stephen Newton was trying to make sense of the loss of his nephew. Newton lived with his common-law wife, whom he had planned to marry next year, and their 14-month-old baby. He was told that Newton was at home when his friend came and called out to him.

“They say he in the toilet and he ask the question, how long Marlon going and take in the toilet? She (Newton’s wife) said about half an hour. Half an hour on the dot he came back and call him and say meet him in the track. That was the last we heard.”

He said Newton was playing with his son at the time.

He noted that Newton’s friend’s house was shot up earlier this week and his grandmother (Parbhoo) was injured. Asked why someone would want to kill his nephew, he lamented, “I don’t know, I don’t know.”

He said Newton was an accountant by profession, but he loved construction work.

“Marlon is one of the most loving persons you would ever meet,” who always tried to make people laugh. Only a month now he was learning to play the guitar and basically he is a profession.”

Stephen was not confident that they would get justice. Pharboo has been staying next door at her daughter’s home since she was discharged from the hospital because she is afraid to go back home. The bullet which pierced the left side of her abdomen is still lodged in her body. She said an x-ray showed that the bullet is near a muscle in her chest and they cannot operate at this time. Recalling the incident, she said, “Tuesday morning about half-past one I sleeping and I hear an explosion and I feel like I get a lash and when I get up I see blood coming out on my nighty.” She also has a large bruise on her back. Parbhoo said she doesn’t know if the incident had anything to do with her 18-year-old grandson who was a friend of Newton’s. She said he was at home at the time of the incident, but since then she has not seen him. Pharboo said about two weeks ago three men beat him under her home. His father died and his mother does not live with them. She said many times she warned him to stay away from bad company. Pharboo said she is frightened and traumatised.

“I want the police to come to the area because I not feeling safe. I don’t know when I will go back to my house.”

Other residents complained that there were frequent drug-related crimes taking place in the area and they want a regular police presence.