Residents of Christ Church community appeal for help as man creates havoc in neighbourhood

Residents of Stanford Road, Lodge Road, Christ Church are living in fear that a “menace” in their neighbourhood may act on worrying threats.

An older neighbour who preferred not to give her name said the trouble started since the man and his family moved into the area nine years ago.

However, Hazene Bourne who has lived in the area for more than two decades, told Barbados TODAY the man spews profanity and threats daily, and residents wanted some intervention by the authorities.

Videos provided by neighbours show the man uttering profanities and making threats to residents looking on.

Retiree Hazene Bourne says the threats have affected her mental health.

“He said he’s going to get a gun and shoot up the people in the neighbourhood. He said he will get a cutlass and chop up the people. He always has a bag on his back, as you can see,” she said, pointing to the man as he rounded a junction at the top of the quiet, close-knit area.

Bourne said she was afraid for her life and was not the only one.

Though the neighbours shared different experiences about their encounter with the man, they agreed they needed police or a team from the Psychiatric Hospital to step in.

Mobrey Lee said the resident had been threatening him unprovoked.

“For a long time since he was living there, the boy has been cursing everybody; even me he troubles me and I don’t offend him. His head is bad and I feel he would cause some kind of problem around here. I feel he would attack somebody here,” the concerned neighbour said.

“I feel it’s drugs or something. He would curse and carry on and would walk up and down. He needs to leave from here. The mother can’t control him.”

One of the younger residents, Glendine Bourne, did not hide how she felt about the neighbour.

“I would like him to leave. He is always confusing and cursing people and nobody don’t do him nothing,” she said.

Glendine Bourne is appealing to authorities to intervene.

“From the time he come here it was just nonstop misery. Out here was quiet and peaceable and you could lie down and sleep but now, minutes to two he is cursing and carrying on.

“Nobody can’t sleep,” she lamented, adding that police at the Oistins Police Station had not really done anything to assist.

“[We reported him] and all they said is ‘oh, you mean that boy from up there?’. That’s not enough,” Bourne insisted.

Hazene shared her sentiments, accusing police of dragging their feet on the issue.

“It’s not only [people in] this avenue but everybody he threatens. You call the police and they come and only warn him . . . . He’s a threat to this community. It’s not getting better but getting worse by the day. He needs to be [institutionalised],” she suggested.

Hazene said the man had threatened that he had tools in the bag he always carries which he intended to use against them.

“We are being threatened the most because we live next to him and if the police [do decide to come] they need to take the parents,” she said angrily.

Repeated efforts to get a comment from officers at the Oistins Police Station have been unsuccessful. (MR)