A man is battling for his life at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) after he drank poison at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
Up to late yesterday afternoon, Shannon Hooper, 29-years-old and formerly of New Amsterdam, Berbice was at the GPH trauma room fighting for his life.
According to Hyacinth Ellis, the mother of Hooper’s child, the man consumed a poisonous substance at the court while awaiting the calling of a matter where she filed for a restraining order against him and child support.
She stated that while everyone stepped outside the court for an in-camera matter, Hooper allegedly threatened her and then angrily left the court building. The woman, who resides at North Ruimveldt along with her child after Hooper was forced to leave the home last December due to his violent behaviour, said when the matter was called, no one could find Hooper.
Shortly after that, an alarm was raised by persons in the court compound that the man was vomiting. She added that when she and others ventured outside the court building, the man was vomiting uncontrollably and the atmosphere smelt of the poison. He was then taken to the hospital by police officers.
Ellis said that following an incident where Hooper chased her with a knife, he was arrested and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment. He was released from prison last Friday.
Recounting the attack, Ellis said one afternoon she was going into her yard when the man came up and started chasing her with the knife. She added that she raised an alarm and persons in the area went to her rescue.
The matter was then reported at the North Ruimveldt Police Outpost and Hooper was arrested for that matter and for a previous report Ellis had made to the station.
