Investigators have ruled that Sunday’s morning fire at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara was intentionally set by Leonard Pollard, who committed suicide after killing his wife and one-year-old daughter.
This is according to a source with knowledge of the investigation, who told Stabroek News that the probe confirmed that Pollard chopped his wife, Latoya Telford, and daughter, Nakasia Pollard and then hanged himself.
This, according to the source, was determined due to the position and location of Pollard’s remains. The limbs of both Telford and their daughter were found separately.
The fire gutted the Lot 1 Beterverwagting Railway Embankment, house around 2.30am on Sunday.
Stabroek News was told that Leonard resided at the address with his brother, who was not at home at the time the fire occurred. Telford, who did not lived there, had earlier paid a visit with their young child.
Throughout the course of the fire, neighbours did not hear any screams coming from the house.
The dead man’s brother, Leon Pollard, had said that he was at work when he received a call informing him of fire. According to Leon, when he last spoke with his brother he told him, “Don’t let that girl (Telford) come to this house,” after his brother informed him that she wanted to visit the home. The brother said that he sensed something terrible would happen since Leonard had attempted to take his own life last Wednesday.
He recalled that since October, 2016, his brother and Telford were having problems. He added that Leonard was also served with a lawyer’s letter and was asked to leave the home.
Meanwhile, Telford’s aunt, Sharon Price, had told this newspaper that Telford returned to her mother’s home at La Parfait Harmonie, West Bank Demerara last November after issues with Leonard Pollard. However, she left her home on Saturday with the youngest of her three children and went to visit him.
Price said that the house had been furnished by Telford. She said that on numerous occasions, the family encouraged Telford to break off the relationship with the man.
She had said it is unclear what went wrong on Saturday but the couple, who shared a common law relationship for almost a decade, had issues. She claimed that Leonard Pollard was insecure and always asked Telford for money since he was unemployed. Price noted that the couple also had quarrels over custody of the children.
