Broker shot dead in ‘hit’

Police believe the fatal shooting of a 51-year-old insurance broker at Calcutta Street, St James, yesterday was a “hit”. Godfrey Lamont, a father of one, of Savannah Villas, Aranguez, owner of the Sterling Financial Centre, was shot as he sat in a car outside his business place. His death pushed the murder toll for the year to 25. According to eyewitnesses, Lamont was sitting in the vehicle with his cousin at around 12.45 pm when gunmen came out of a vehicle which was parked nearby. They shot Lamont through the window of the car and fled in the waiting vehicle. Co-workers and relatives notified the police.

Snr Supts Donald Denoon, Glenda Smith, Supts David Ishmael, Jayson Forde, Insps Ken Charles, Daniel Moore, Henry Dann, Sgts Eric Parks, Urick Prescott and Anthony Lawrence, of the Western Division and the Homicide Bureau, visited the scene. The body was viewed by the district medical officer who ordered it removed to the Forensic Science Centre, St James, for an autopsy today. Detectives have ruled out robbery as a motive for the murder. They said his attackers were waiting for him at the scene. A crowd of spectators and several of Lamont’s family members gathered to catch a glimpse of the body.

In an interview yesterday, a relative said Lamont spent more than 30 years working in the insurance business. A relative said his murder came just as the family was struggling to come to terms with the death of his 65-year-old brother, Henry, who died late last year and was buried on New Year’s Day.

Facts

In 2003, Lamont and three other men appeared in court charged with conspiring to defraud the Westmoorings branch of Republic Bank of $317,000 between June 6 and 11, 2002. The fraudulent cheque was allegedly made payable to a plumbing company and drawn on another account.