WESTERN BUREAU — A man who was accused of chopping a farmer to death on his farm in Lowe River, Trelawny yesterday was beaten to death by angry residents in the community.

Three policemen assigned to the Wait-a-bit Police Station in the parish were injured during the fracas.

Police identified the dead man as 65 year-old David Swaby, of a Green Town address in Trelawny. They also have in custody, a 23-year-old labourer from the parish.

The Observer was told that at about 6:00 am yesterday, Swaby left his house for his nearby farm in Lowe River to reap yams.

“About an hour later, his wife, Muriel, sent her grandchildren and their fiends to look for him, but they came back and said that they did not see him on the farm,” Leroy Swaby, David Swaby’s son told the Observer.

He said his mother, Muriel, who had promised his father that she would take breakfast to him, then went with the children in search of him.

“When she went there and start to search the field, dem find him lying on his face with his left hand chopped off, his head split and his marrow showing. The body had chops all over it,” Leroy said, fighting back the tears.

He said shortly afterwards, residents in the area saw a man near the farm with bloodstains on his shirt.

“When wi asked him how him come fi have bloodstains on him shirt, he did not answer, but instead started to run,” Leroy said.

The suspect was subsequently held and handed over to the police who were early on the scene.

While the suspect was being questioned by the police, residents who were incensed at the killing, used sticks and other objects to hit the man all over his body, injuring the three policemen in the process.

Detective Sergeant David Ebanks, who is in charge of the investigations, told the Observer that the residents did not “willfully” injure the policemen.

He explained that the cops were injured while they tried to shield the suspect from the angry mob.

The suspect was later taken to hospital where he was admitted in critical condition.

Swaby’s death brings to 10, the number of persons who have died violently in the parish since the start of the year.