Son killed after beating mother, 65

Harish Baldath
Harish Baldath

MOMENTS after a video went viral on social media showing a man mercilessly beating his mother, he was shot and killed at the family home in Debe on Wednesday morning.

The killing occurred less than 24 hours after Harish Baldath, 35, had also threatened to kill his 65-year-old mother Johageen Soogrim, who is a pensioner. The mother and son lived together at Debe Trace.

Soogrim said she was in another room when the killer arrived.

She heard someone call out her son’s name, followed by a heated argument and gunshots. The frightened mother remained in her room, next to her son until police arrived. Baldath was pronounced dead on the scene.

Speaking to Newsday at the family home, the tearful mother said she was still in shock. And while she was happy her years of abuse were over, she said Baldath would always be her son.

Police said at about 1 am, two men in black hoodies called out to Baldath by his nickname "Doll." Reports said the men came in and the three began to argue. Baldath was shot in his chest and abdomen.

Speaking to Newsday, the tearful mother said she remained hid in her room until the gunmen left. "I heard the argument, then I heard gunshots and I heard the footsteps and the man ran out the house. I could not move, I was so scared. I covered my mouth and wept. I could not believe it.”

Soogrim had endured five years of abuse at the hands of her son, who she said was a cocaine addict.

At about 5 am on Tuesday she recalled waking up to her son screaming and cursing her, which she said, was a norm.

She said her son said, “Get up yuh f---ing old self. I will kill yuh mudder c--t! I don’t want ya sleeping this f---ing hour.”

Soogrim said he dragged her off the mattress into the living room and began to beat her "non-stop."

He then dragged her to the front of the house and started to beat her with a belt.

As she showed welts on her skin, she said, "I begged him to stop but the more I begged the more he beat me. He beat me for almost half an hour, then he stopped and went and smoke."

Those minutes of abuse were recorded by a neighbour and uploaded to social media.

It was just one of many times Soogrim was beaten.

Wiping her tears, she said she would usually wait for months or weeks before her wounds were healed. She has scars all over her body.

“I am still in pain from the last time he beat me. I had gotten accustomed to the licks.”

She said her son would beat her with a belt, broom or anything he could get his hands on. “I was so ashamed to tell people. He told me if I ever went to the police he would kill me. I was afraid of him.”

She said the abuse began in 2015 when he began using cocaine. “I was just hoping he would have changed all this time. I was wrong.”

Homicide Region Three police are investigating.

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