(Trinidad Guardian) Minutes after he told a teenage relative he was going to get a meal and go to church, a man instead showed up at Carlene Grant’s workplace and stabbed her several times before taking a sledgehammer and bashing in the side of her head.
Grant, 48, a security officer employed with the National Maintenance Training and Security Company Limited (MTS), was taken to the Couva District Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
She was carrying out her night duties along with another officer at the Waterloo Community Centre, corner of Butler Village Road and the Waterloo Main Road, when at about 7.30 pm she was confronted by her estranged male relative. The man, according to an eyewitness, began to quarrel with Grant and then turned physical when he cuffed her several times.
“I just saw the man take out a knife and stab her up. He then ran to the trunk of the car and took out a sledgehammer and smashed the side of her head. She tried to brace but her fingers were crushed in the process,” the eyewitness said.
The eyewitness added that Grant’s colleague, who attempted to save her from the attacker, was also threatened. The man then got in his car and drove off. He later surrendered to the Chaguanas Police Station.
Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday while at Grant’s home at John Elie Road, Chase Village, Carapichaima , Grant’s teenage daughter, Tisha, said she had left home to purchase a meal for her brother when she was offered a drop by the relative to St Mary’s Junction.
“I took the drop with him and on the way he told me that he was going to church but if his gas tank wasn’t so long he would not have been going St Mary’s side to give me the drop there by KFC. He said he was going to fill up on gas and then go to church so I told him make sure he goes,” Tisha said with tears rolling down her eyes.
“Before I came out of his vehicle he told me that one of these days my mother will bounce her head and she would not know want happen. Little did I know that he was going to harm my own mother and not really going to church like he said because I spoke to people in the church and they told me he never went.”
Asked what caused the man to attack her mother, Tisha disclosed that her mother had told him that their relationship was stagnant.
“He didn’t want to take no for an answer. They were together about 11 years now and about one year now their relationship was very rocky but he didn’t want to leave her alone,” Tisha said. She added it was not the first time the man had gone to Grant’s place of work for a confrontation.
“He used to always go and quarrel with her and she made several reports to the police but the police never did anything to help the situation,” she added.
Grant’s brother, Kevin, described his sister as a well respected individual.
“She was always smiling and a very happy person. In fact she was so looking forward for her first grandchild. Her daughter-in-law is seven months pregnant and she used to come and anoint her belly and talk to the baby. She was over excited. Mow she will never get the opportunity to meet her first grand,” Kevin added.
He said he believed the man pre-meditated the entire attack and called for justice for his sister. He even disclosed that many times he, himself had cause to defend his sister from the man.
“Just on Sunday, the man sit down with my sister and other relatives and talking about killing. We have real evidence against him… voice notes and messages too,” Kevin said.
