A post-mortem examination (PME) done by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh yesterday revealed that Special Corporal Clarence Giles died by compound pressure to the neck due to hanging.
Giles, 57, lot 72 South Haslington, East Coast Demerara, was found hanging by an electrical cable after he and his wife of 11 years had a misunderstanding.
Giles’s wife Shondel Giles related that on Thursday, she arrived home from work and saw her wardrobe broken into and immediately contacted Giles.
“When I call him he said yes he broke it because he couldn’t find his keys in his wardrobe so he broke mine too,” Shondel Giles said.
She said her husband called her back and said that he had been consuming alcohol with some friends when he was notified she had a relationship with a “bus driver”.
Around 7 pm, she said, Giles went home under the influence of alcohol and accused her of having an affair with another man.
“When we started to argue I told him ‘I ain’t able with this torment tonight’ and I left and go over at my mother’s house,” the wife said.
She explained that on Friday night, she and her two sons’ were over at her mother’s house when her husband showed up and demanded that the children go home.
A still shaken nine-year-old Deshawn Giles said, “He go and pick up the cable from up top the cupboard and I thought he gon’ beat we, but then he tie it up on the wall and then bring a chair and stand up pon it.”
He said his father then told him and younger brother Dellon to go to bed or he would beat them both.
“I play like I was sleeping [and] he put the rope round he neck and then he see me then he tell me I if don’t go to sleep he gon beat me,” Deshawn said.
He added that he went to bed and later heard a sound, but the place was in darkness so he was unable to see what it was.
“When I get up the place de dark and while I de walking I feel like a foot hit me in me face and then I run back in bed and cover me face because I was scared,” the nine-year-old added.
He added that he was awakened the next morning by his brother, who told him “look where daddy hanging from”. He said he took a picture of his father’s still body hanging from the roof and took it and showed it to his mother, who was next door.
He recalled that before his father had sent them to bed, he had sent him back to his grandmother’s house to call his mother, but his mother refused to come. The boy said his father had a knife behind his back at the time.
Shondel Giles said she was too afraid to go home as her husband had previously told her that he would kill her, the children and himself.
On Friday night, she said, her husband sent her two text messages. One, at 22:39 hrs read “just let me hear you for one last time”. The second, at 22:49 hrs said “Bye”.
“I don’t know what triggered this but right now this whole thing left me baffled,” the woman said. “Up to Valentine’s night I took him out to dinner and we had a good time. Just days after that he was okay but I don’t know what transpired from Wednesday gone to now,” she added.
Shondel Giles also revealed that on January 27, Giles was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital after he drank pesticide. He was given medication and discharged.
When Stabroek News visited the home, a piece of the cable still hung from the roof, while a 14-oz bottle of a pinkish substance had been found under the couple’s bed.
