By Ayanna Blair
A special constable told Stabroek News yesterday she pretended to be dead after being repeatedly stabbed by her husband who the police said later turned the knife on himself.
Both Dawn Dash, 36, and her husband Edward Dash, 37, were admitted to the Georgetown Hospital where he recounted a different version.
“Is she start de nonsense…” said Edward who was accused of beating his wife with a hammer and stabbing her with a knife at their Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara home just after 12:30 yesterday morning.
When Stabroek News visited Dawn of Lot 17 Young and Clay Brick Street, in the Female Open Ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital she was crying out in pain as she attempted to move her left hand that was bleeding. She said that the attack followed a phone call from a male friend overseas just after midnight. She said that Edward got off the bed and went outside but soon returned. Dawn stated that she got out of the room and went to the hallway where she sat and answered her call “more properly”. She said that Edward then came from behind her and dealt her several blows to her head with a hammer but “de handle of de hammer break so he had to stop” said Dawn. “He then strip me and put me to sit down on de steps” and asked her to be intimate with him. She said that she told him that she would comply and he immediately dropped the hammer handle. She noted that all through the incident “I dey hollering murder, murder he gon kill me”. She said that neighbours heard her shouts for help and soon called the police who arrived on the scene promptly. She said that as the police were knocking on her door while calling out her name, Edward peeped through the window but suddenly pulled back, walked towards her and dragged her to the kitchen where he got a knife and stabbed her several times about her body. She said “I fell to de ground and play dead and he left me and went to de bathroom and stab he self with the same knife”. She said that as Edward was doing so he was crying out in pain. The police soon managed to break down the front door where they found Dawn lying in a pool of blood on the floor while Edward stumbled out covered in blood. The two were later rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Dawn alleged that Edward had threatened to kill her once before. She sustained several stab wounds to her chest, back and neck. She also sustained wounds to her head and body as a result of the blows with the hammer.
However, Edward who is currently in the Male Open Ward of the hospital refuted Dawn’s claims. He said that he had only voiced his displeasure at Dawn receiving calls that early in the morning and that she was the one who had picked up the hammer and “hit me on meh muscles”. He said that he took the hammer away from Dawn and she started to fight with him and that it was as a result of the scuffle that she picked up a knife and stabbed him twice to his chest”. He said that “Is she start de nonsense but I can’t tek this no more, we gon get a divorce”. He also stressed that he had not stabbed himself.
A police press release that was issued yesterday stated that nearby relatives had heard Dawn’s call for help and they immediately contacted the police. Upon entering the house that had been locked and windows grilled, the police found the couple with the stab wounds about their body.
The knife suspected to have been used in the altercation was recovered.
Investigations are ongoing.
