Murdered gardener's wife in critical condition

Gertrude Mohammed, the wife of slain gardener Penal Ricky, 54, who was ambushed and shot on Friday after picking corn in their garden remains critical at the hospital.

Police said Mohammed, 55, also called Susan, is at the intensive care unit of the San Fernando General Hospital. She was shot five times and up to today the killers remain at large.

An autopsy is expected to be done on Monday on Ricky’s body at the Forensic Science Centre, St James.

Relatives believe Ricky, who lived at Rebeiro Street off Penal Rock Road, was killed because of a land dispute. Last year, he told relatives that people confronted and threatened him claiming ownership of a parcel of land he used as his garden.

The couple had finished picking corn and were returning home from the garden when they were attacked in their car on Friday shortly before 10 am.

Reports are Mohammed was driving on Jagroop Trace, Penal where he stopped on seeing tyres on the road. Two gunmen came out of the bush and opened fire on the couple killing Ricky. The gunmen returned to the bush leaving Mohammed with injuries.

Mohammed managed to call and alert relatives before she passed out.

When relatives and police arrived, they found Ricky with a bullet wound to his head. He was slumped behind the steering wheel.

Officers from the Penal police station and the Homicide Bureau Region III searched the area but did not find the killers.

Police were unable to confirm if Mohammed had reported the threat.