Father of four is murdered following an altercation at a Belize City bar

Dion Yorke

Shots rang out in City on Friday night in the area of Hyde’s Lane and New Road. A twenty-eight year old father of four within close proximity of his house was gunned and died within minutes. Two family members, his sister and common law wife, heard the shots but could not fathom the idea that one of their own had been murdered. Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Just before midnight on Friday, Dion Yorke was shot and killed as he made his way home on New Road.  The twenty-eight year old resident of a Pickstock Street address was only a block away from his house when he hit twice to the armpit and upper chest. He fell to the ground and  minutes later, Diddy, as he was affectionately known, was rushed by police to the K.H.M.H. and died shortly after while receiving treatment.

Lisa Yorke, Sister of Murder Victim

“He and wah next young man come and tell my ma that ih gwen take wah walk over soh and when ih come back, ih want a plate of food, but ih did never end up to come back for the plate of food. I mi deh inside di play game because my ma mi done di sleep and my sister mi just gone ina di bed and wah young lady run come to the basketball court and come tell me that they just Dion, well Diddy. Ih say dehn shot ahn ina di head, but dah never ina ih head ih get the shot.”

Lafaye Lewis

Lafaye Lewis, Common-law-Wife of Murder Victim

“I mi di walk down Victoria Street and I hear two gun shots and di person weh mi deh beside me, I tell ahn say you hear dende, so the person say you hear dende. The person say yes and a young man ride came and say Lafaye unu noh go that way deh because the person di come and the person weh dehn shot drop. So I turn back and neva know that dah mi he because he dah somebody; ih noh go party dah side dehn.”

Lisa Yorke

“I sit down inside and I heard the two gunshots but I neva mi di think that ih mi wah be my bredda because I noh know my bredda as wah person weh woulda go party dah Bucket. He usually go party dah Elements or the lee bar outta Barracks yah.”

But Dion, it is reported, was embroiled in an altercation earlier that night at Carmita’s Bar and Grill, better known as Bucket Bar, located at the foot of the Swing Bridge in downtown Belize City. His killer lay waited him as Yorke made his way home and targeted him at the corner of Hyde’s Lane and New Road. Residents say the sound of two shots rang out before his killer made good his escape contrary to traffic on Hyde’s Lane.

Lisa Yorke

“Dehn say that how ih mi gone dah Bucket Bar and ih ketch ina wah lee fight with somebody from I noh know weh. And when he and the next young man mi di come home, dah then the person mi di wait fi he. As the young man gone through the alley and my bredda mi di come dah right deh so dehn come out, halla fi ahn and dehn shot ahn right there.”

Duane Moody

“More than one person?”

Lisa Yorke

Lisa Yorke

“Only one person because the person mi deh pan bike.”

Lafaye Lewis

“By the time I reach di lane, I see the police dehn di fly past so deh say dehn just ker ahn. So I went to the hospital and when I reach thyere, the police man tell me ih still di gasp fi air di try breathe. After twelve soh, dehn come back out and tell me how dehn couldn’t save ahn, ih dead.  When I reach ina di room, all I look and I di stare ahn ina ih face and yo could see like ih di stare me back because ih dead with ih eye open. And ih mi got wah bright eye. Ih mi look like ih frighten; ih neva expect it. dah something ketch ahn and ih neva expect that because ih mi di walk come home. So dah like you coulda mi see the fright still on his face.”

While the entire neighborhood is mourning the death of one of their youth, Yorke’s sister, Lisa, says she and her brother got into an argument earlier on Friday before he met his untimely death.

Lisa Yorke

“I wah always miss my bredda because we dah from same ma and same pa. he always cuss up to me because of weh I lone beat my baby. The last thing me and he gone through dah because I mi have ten dollars fi ahn. And I tell ahn if ih get ih ten dollars. Ih say yo lucky I neva add on more because dah done two weeks now. So I tell ahn add on more to wah. Ih say anyways yo lucky I done spend it or else I mi wah give yo back. I say well I mi wah give yo back yo shades too. Ih say ah man, dah noh you I come to; dah mommy. So ih say ma I gwen take wah walk over soh. When I come back, I di come back for wah plate ah food and ih did neva come back.”

For Lewis this is her second partner that has been killed by the gun. What is even more heart-wrenching is that her children will grow up without a father.

Lafaye Lewis

“Dehn mi kill my lee daughter pa just like that too; he mi get gunned down too. And dah he take over and raise my daughter with fi he two. And I noh know. I explain to my baby dehn and I tell dehn ih dead. And my lee four year old son say like mommy, my daddy dead noh chu? And I dah like yes baby daddy, but I know ih noh understand that death is cause ih noh wah see ih dad no more. I know ih noh understand it, ih just di go because ih hear everybody di talk about it and say ih pa dead. All like my ten months old baby he worse noh know.”

It is not known whether surveillance cameras in the vicinity picked up the incident, but News Five understands that police are looking into it as investigations continue. Duane Moody for News Five.

Two nine millimeter S.F.L. brand expended shells were retrieved from the scene. And two men have been detained and police are seeking another as investigations continue.