Four armed bandits swooped on them, ransacked the home, and robbed them of cash and jewellery, the victims said.

Grandfather Beepat, who shares a home with his son, daughter, and grandchildren, said that around noon, after having a birthday 'toops' (toast) with his son Deodat and two friends, he became drowsy, and went to his bed to rest.

But it was not long before he was rudely awakened by shouts of murder and the cracking sounds of gunfire in his home.

Family members said that around 13:30 hrs, as the old man lay sleeping, Deodat and his friends Jerry and Anup remained downstairs having a drink.

The men said that "out of the blues" four armed men jumped over the fence next to the main gate and barged into the home.

As the screaming and badly terrified occupants scampered, the men overpowered Jerry, hitting him on the left temple with a gun butt and forcing him to lie face down outside the door.

Then entering the bottom flat of the building through the main door which was not bolted, the bandits began shooting wildly as they proceeded to search the house.

The old man woke up hysterical, but was unhurt during the attack.

Sobbing nervously as he spoke with the Chronicle, he lamented the incident.

"Ow, meh wuk hard; meh wuk ah estate for forty-nine years, now meh retire and look wha happen in meh old age," the elderly man sobbed.

Family members said the robbers moved with "lightning" speed, leaving the house like a tornado had passed through.

According to Deodat, the bandits ransacked the entire builllding - top and bottom floors in just over five minutes. All the wardrobes were broken, mattresses upturned, television and VCR sets removed, and left face down on the floor.

The bandits targeted mainly cash and jewellery, he said. They carted off about $300,000 and a quantity of jewels.

One of the old man's grandsons, Balkrishna Persaud, a jeweller living on the top floor, but who conducts his goldsmith work off the premises, said that as the bandits made their swoop, they took with them jewels he had made for customers and was waiting to deliver.

Meanwhile, a few hours earlier, around 10:40 hrs, bandits also attacked and robbed a lumber yard at Melanie Damishana higher up the East Coast.

Manager of RSM Lumber Yard, Melanie Cinema compound, Mr. Looknauth Persaud, said he was in the yard with about eight employees and cartmen when two men rode up on a green and black motorcycle.
As the men rode up, they swerved the motorcycle, and one of them, in a crude voice, and using indecent language, enquired of his partner: "This is the ****man?" The other replied "yes", and they both drew guns from their waist, he said.

Persaud said one man held a gun to his head and again cursing, ordered him to hand over his money. He was relieved of an undisclosed amount of cash, but the men were not satisfied, and proceeded into the office which they ransacked.

After searching and not finding any more money they jumped back on the motorcycle and rode away.

The distraught businessman said this was the third time his business was robbed over the last two months - on August 11, August 24 and now exactly one month later.