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Visiting British soldier robbed of priceless possessions

JUNE 1, 2016 | BY | FILED UNDER NEWS 

Former British soldier Edward John Constant was enjoying the famous Guyanese hospitality, but this all came to an end on Monday when a known thief shattered his historic holiday.

Former British soldier Edward Constant demonstrates how the thief grabbed him and snatched off his jewellery.

Former British soldier Edward Constant demonstrates how the thief grabbed him and snatched off his jewellery.

Seventy-year-old Constant was robbed of his cherished gold chain and a symbolic ring by a man known as “Quarter,” and although the soldier tried valiantly to retrieve the items, his younger assailant managed to escape.
And although police investigators have been able to ascertain the identity of the thief, up to press time there was no word of him being apprehended.
Constant, who is in Guyana to celebrate the country’s Golden Independence anniversary in keeping with a pledge he made 50 years ago, said that on Monday morning, he left the city hotel he was staying at, to go down to a bank to exchange some foreign currency.
He did not get to complete the transaction, so he decided to go sightseeing around the Stabroek Market area, where he began taking photographs.
“The next thing I knew was that someone had grabbed my shirt from behind and pulled it, he said demonstrating the action while speaking to this newspaper.
In the process, the thief had grabbed his gold chain to which was attached a diamond-crested ring.
“As he pulled it, he came towards me and I hit him….it was more out of temper, because I saw his face for about a second and I just punched him to the side of the head and he was gone,” the former British soldier related.
He ran after the fleeing man, shouting “Stop! Thief!” while chasing him towards the Stabroek Market.
Constant gave up the chase after running over some wooden planks and being barefooted, the task was onerous.
He was sure that if the odds were a little better he would have caught the thief, who disappeared into the crowded Stabroek Market.
“I thought, I’ve still got my iPad, I’ve got my money, I thought it’s not worth it.”
Fighting to hold back tears, Constant said that the stolen items mean a lot to him.
“My wife bought me the gold chain….she bought me a gold chain before she died and I put her wedding ring and her engagement ring on it and it’s gone,” the former soldier lamented.
Although he spoke of one man, Constant said that he was told by the police that the perpetrators were two youths.
He said that “a very nice taxi driver” came up and identified one of the thieves.
“He said ‘I know that man.” ….he said his (the thief’s) name was Quarter,” the British National recalled.
He said that he eventually picked up his slippers that he left behind while chasing after the thief, and after putting them back on, he made his way to the Brickdam Police Station where he reported the matter.
Constant told Kaieteur News that after speaking to the relevant officer, he was taken back to the Stabroek Market where the information was passed on to some plainclothes ranks who were already there.
A few minutes later, the investigators sought to obtain footage from a surveillance camera located in the vicinity where Constant was robbed.
He was the taken back to the station where he gave a detailed statement.
“My chain was thick round gold, British gold, nine carat. But it’s the rings, my wife’s engagement ring was a ruby diamond cluster,” Constant said.
Monday’s experience is a stark contrast to some experiences that Constant had a few days earlier.
He spoke of being shepherded back to his hotel with all his medals by a man he befriended and who even bought him a few beers.
But despite his loss, Constant insisted that he will spend out the rest of his holiday and hopes that by the time it is done, the police would have captured the thief.
A senior police official, when contacted vowed that the Force will leave no stone unturned to capture the thief, who he said would pay a huge price for bringing Guyana into disrepute.

FM
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