Freeport man charged with father’s murder

A 35-year-old man from Freeport was expected to face a Couva magistrate on Wednesday charged with the murder of his father that took place over the weekend.

On Tuesday night, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions instructed the police to charge Scott Gopie. He is an out-patient of the St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital.

WPC Mohammed of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations (Region III) laid the charge.

Gopie’s father, Deodath Gopie, 58, a PTSC employee, was chopped while he slept at the family’s home at Grant Trace Extension.

Reports are shortly before 4 am on Sunday, Gopie’s mother, 56, woke up to use the washroom and saw a man holding a blood-stained cutlass. Blood splatters were also on his clothes, and he allegedly tried to attack her.

She managed to lock herself in her room and called the police.

Minutes later, Freeport police, including PCs Tull and Ramdeen, arrived at the house.

The police found the deceased on his bed with multiple chop wounds.

The family’s dog, Lilly, was also chopped to death on the ground of an open area.

The police arrested the man at the scene and seized the cutlass.