By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THE family of an elderly man that was reportedly severely beaten “within an inch of his life” five days ago claimed that police have yet to take a statement from the victim or process the crime scene.

Martin Lundy, the victim’s grandson, said after his grandfather, 89-year-old Charles Lightbourne, was found beaten half to death in bushes near his home, the family was allegedly told by officers to take their own pictures because crime scene personnel was “not available at the time.”

Mr Lundy said after repeated attempts to get officers to the home to gather 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.

“Last Friday, my uncle went to the house around 5pm and saw a man coming from the bushes. At first, 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.

“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.”

Mr Lundy said relatives repeatedly called the police but no one ever came to even take a statement.

He said: “It’s like the police just do not care about what happened.

“They were so nonchalant, supposed my grandfather died before they take a statement? The police said the crime scene investigators prioritise incidents as they are called in and they could not tell me when an officer would be able to come. So they told my uncle he should take the pictures.

“This incident happened outside, the elements probably already destroyed everything. I mean who is supposed to care if the police don’t? I mean seriously, it’s Tuesday, this happened Friday. When will they get around to helping us?”

According to family, the incident occurred outside the victim’s Carmichael Road home.

The Tribune contacted Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean who said he was “unaware” of the incident and “would check on it.”