Three in custody over bar killing

Shortly after he tried to woo a female bar patron, a 33-year-old pipefitter was stabbed to death with his own knife at a Penal nightclub yesterday. Garvin Alexis, of Erin Road, Santa Flora bled out on the floor at Club J’s Bar and Lounge at SS Erin Road, Batchiya Village after an altercation with three other customers. 

Alexis, who worked at Lease Operators, Santa Flora, was liming at the bar when around 1 am, he approached a female patron and began talking to her.  Within a minute, two male friends of the woman confronted Alexis and accused him of harassing her. Police were told that a fight broke out and Alexis pulled out a knife. One of the men disarmed Alexis and stabbed him several times on the neck and back. Patrons began screaming and ran out of the club when Alexis fell to the floor.

Penal CID officers led by Supt Ramlal, Insp Granger, Sgt Ramsingh along with Sgt Flaveny of the Southern Homicide Division visited and processed the scene. Alexis’ body was taken to the Forensic Science Centre pending an autopsy. 

About two hours later, the three suspects walked into the San Fernando Police Station and one of the men reported that he had been attacked and wounded while liming at the same bar. Police escorted him to the San Fernando General Hospital, where he was treated for superficial wounds and taken into custody. Police also seized a knife, which they believed was used in Alexis’ killing and arrested two other suspects, a man and a woman. 

Up to late yesterday, they were trying to determine whether the killing was a murder or self-defence.  Officers said the club was known to have special entertainment and because of regular fights over women in the past, they had restricted access by women.