Prisoners in knife fight still hospitalised

Dec 10, 2008 News

– one still critical

Randy Joseph, 25, who was stabbed in his chest by another inmate at the Georgetown Prison, was still in a critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital’s intensive care unit up to press time last evening.
Joseph was stabbed on Monday morning at the Camp Street Jail by another inmate, identified as Derrick Norton. The other inmate also sustained stab wounds that were not as severe as Joseph’s. The stabbing occurred at around 8:00 am on Monday, after the two were engaged in a fracas.
Joseph, who hails from Buxton, had being remanded to prison after he was implicated in a robbery a few weeks ago. The injured Norton is currently hospitalised in Ward B2 at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
According to hospital sources, Joseph was stabbed in the left side region of his chest, and is suffering from a collapsed lung and internal bleeding. The two were rushed to the hospital by prison officials at around 8:15 am on Monday.
Joseph’s mother, Hazel Sancho, had told Kaieteur News that doctors informed her that her son was stabbed in the chest in the region of his lungs. She also explained that the doctors said that, because of where he was stabbed, he had suffered internal bleeding and had to undergo immediate surgery.
The woman further told this newspaper that she was informed of her son’s condition by a relative.
She said, “I get a call asking if I ain’t hear what happened to me son.”
Sancho said that the Georgetown Prison authorities later contacted her and asked that she go to the hospital. She opined that the authorities should make sure things like this don’t happen in prisons.
Director of Prisons, Dale Erskine, had noted that the prison service was investigating the matter thoroughly.
He added that the “prison authority is trying very hard” to clamp down on prison violence. He explained that he was made aware of the incident early that morning by prison officials.
The director noted that prisoners make weapons out of everything, adding that the security level will be boosted. He noted that police officers had already taken statements from Norton.