The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean maintained yesterday that police officers “acted professionally” despite claims that officers from the Carmichael Road police station failed to investigate the brutal beating of an 89-year-old man.

His comments came after a relative of Charles Lighbourne claimed on Tuesday that police neglected to take a statement or process the crime scene after Mr Lighbourne was reportedly beaten within an inch of his life.

Martin Lundy, the victim’s grandson, said after Mr Lightbourne was found beaten half to death in bushes near his home last Friday, the family was allegedly told by officers to take their own pictures because crime scene personnel was “not available at the time”.

Mr Lundy also said after repeated attempts to get officers to the home to collect evidence or even speak to his grandfather, he believes the evidence has now been “washed away” because of the elements.

He said the attack was so gruesome his grandfather lost his left eye, has huge gashes on his head from being repeatedly hit with a shovel and a piece of wood and will need multiple surgeries to correct his disfigured face.

“The matter is being actively investigated by officers from the Carmichael Road Station and the Southwestern Division,” ACP Dean said yesterday.

“We are taking all matters seriously and police are actively investigating this matter. Sometimes investigations do not go as quick as people may like but officers have to ensure the matter is investigated meticulously. I understand the victim has now been interviewed and the investigation is moving forward.”

The family has confirmed that officers visited Mr Lighbourne on Tuesday afternoon - four days after the attack.

Mr Lundy told The Tribune that his grandfather was found “stumbling out of bushes bloodied and beaten”.

“At first when my uncle went to the house, he did not recognise it was my grandfather because the man’s face was bloodied and covered in dirt. He was disoriented and swollen and the blood mixed with the dirt looked like he was burned,” Mr Lundy said on Tuesday.

“My uncle took him to the hospital, where after they cleaned him up they discovered his eye was beaten out. We found out that he was beaten in the head with a shovel and his other eye is severely damaged. Police never went to the scene and this happened on Friday. My grandfather said the attacker was laughing the entire time he beat him. The guy took a television but that is it. He left everything else, including $200 that was on the nightstand.”

ACP Dean appealed to anyone who may have any information on this incident to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.