‘Big T’ bartender shot dead Shot to death: Clyde Watson, bartender at Big T’s Resort. A 53-year-old bartender was shot dead at his place of employ, ‘Big-T’s Resort’, Kuru Kuru on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway early yesterday morning. Dead is Clyde Watson, also called “Tickie”, a father of nine children. Watson resided at Kuru Kuru with his wife and their seven sons and two daughters. His body was discovered lying in a pool of blood in the doorway of the bar on the business premises. There were bullet wounds to his head, but up to late yesterday the motive for the killing was unknown. Proprietor of the Motel, Mr. Hector Talbot, told this newspaper that around 18:00 hours on Thursday, he retired from his daily activities and went over to his dwelling place. Six of Clyde Watson’s nine children at their Kuru Kuru home yesterday, just after learning that their father had been shot. (Picture by Cullen Bess Nelson) Talbot said he could not recall hearing anything unusual or seeing any suspicious movement on the premises. However, on getting out of bed around 5:30 hours yesterday, he discovered that the lights in the bar were still on, and wondered why. The proprietor explained that the lights are usually taken off around 5:00 hours daily. Talbot said he went downstairs and, accompanied by an employee, commenced taking the lights off. Suddenly, the employee came upon Watson’s body, which was lying in the doorway next to a couch. Horrified, the two men hurriedly retreated, then telephoned the nearby Police Outpost to report the grisly discovery. Talbot recalled that the door to the bar had been left half-open, but there were no signs of forced entry, nor did it seem as if a burglary had taken place. Meanwhile, at the home of the dead man mid-morning yesterday, Watson’s children ranging in ages from two to 12 did not appear to know that their father had died. The eldest, Samuel, said that himself and another brother had just left the house to go to lessons, when someone got off a bus and told them that their father had been shot in the head. They hastened back home and told their mother, Chlorine, who then headed down to the hospital. The doorway to the bar, where Clyde Watson was shot and killed early yesterday morning. (Picture by Cullen Bess Nelson) Relatives said that Watson had only commenced working at the bar about four months ago. It was shortly after bandits had attacked and beaten the proprietor of the business last January. Watson was employed to operate the night shift, while the previous bartender was assigned daytime duties. A mason by trade, Watson was described as a hard-working man, who did his utmost to provide for his family. Just the day before his death, he had commenced building blocks for a neighbour. At the time of his death, Watson was in the process of laying a concrete foundation to extend his house. His sons said that after building blocks the entire day Thursday, Watson left home around 18:00 hours to go on duty at the ‘Big T’ resort. He never returned home. He leaves to mourn, his wife Chlorine, nine children and other relatives. Bandit shot after allegedly biting ring off man’s finger An unknown person shot a known bandit yesterday afternoon in the vicinity of the Route 45 minibus park after the bandit and another man had robbed a man of a gold ring. According to a Police press release issued yesterday, Mark David, 26, of Sophia, was shot at about 16:45 hours (4:45 p.m.) yesterday after he and another accomplice had allegedly bitten a gold ring off a man’s finger. The Police release stated that David had appeared before the Court on Thursday to answer a charge of robbery with violence. He was placed on $25,000 bail. When this newspaper arrived at the Georgetown Hospital yesterday, David had just been taken to the Accident & Emergency Unit. He was bleeding profusely from several gunshot wounds. The Police are investigating the incident. Saturday, May 10, 2003