The husband of Kareema Mary Cholmondeley has denied pushing her into the path of the car that ran over her along the Turkeyen Railway Embankment last Wednesday.
Asif Rafeek, who had been taken into custody in wake of his wife’s death, broke his silence on the events leading up to her demise as he maintained that he was nowhere near her when she was run over and called for justice.
“…His [the driver’s] statement is that I pushed her in front the vehicle. I was nowhere near to her when the accident occurred. I was away from her,” Rafeek told Stabroek News.
The police had said Cholmondeley, 18, of Lot 10 BB GEC Scheme, Hugh Ghanie Park, Cummings Lodge, was run over along the Turkeyen Railway Embankment Road around 10.30 pm last Wednesday.
A statement from the police had noted that Rafeek, the teen’s 42-year-old common-law husband, told investigators that they were having an argument before she threw herself onto the roadway, where she was run over.
The driver of the other car, which carried licence plate PJJ 5884, had been proceeding west along the southern side of the road. According to police, the driver said he saw a male pushing a bicycle on the same side of the road and as he was about to pass him he observed someone lying on the roadway. However, because of the short distance, he said he drove over the body.
Cholmondeley was picked up in an unconscious state and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Rafeek was released from police custody on Sunday. The driver of the car was also said to have been released.
While the present status of the police investigation remains unknown, Stabroek News was told by a police source that traffic ranks are preparing a file for legal advice to determine the way forward in the matter.
Change in behaviour
In an interview with this newspaper at his Hugh Ghanie home yesterday, Rafeek related that he met Cholmondeley about two years ago, when she was looking for an apartment to rent.
He said she eventually rented a room of his house and they began to live together. Neighbours had previously related to Stabroek News that Cholmondeley had been acting in an erratic manner since the beginning of the year.
Rafeek said he noticed a change in Cholmondeley’s behaviour following the death of her mother, which appeared to have taken a toll on her mentally.
“…Since her mom die, it’s just that I notice her behaviour pattern start changing, she start letting thing get to her easy,” he stated. “It’s a normal thing with she… She is a very loving person; she would look out for anybody that’s how she is… But like if leh we seh, she talk to you and you ain’t talk to she, she would take it on,” he added.
On several occasions, Rafeek said, he spoke with her relatives about getting help for her but no one paid him any mind. He added that he himself even tried but every time he did Cholmondeley would threaten to kill herself. “She pick a knife up from the kitchen and she tell me if I only call she gon’ kill she self,” he said.
About six weeks ago, Cholmondeley also lost one of her brothers.
On the night of her death, Rafeek explained, they were on their way home after visiting a family friend, identified as “Uncle Brian,” and Cholmondeley’s siblings in Bel Air.
Rafeek said he waited at the home of “Uncle Brian” for Cholmondeley, while she went to visit her father and siblings. “She dad wasn’t home so when she came back she told me that she and her sister had a lil argument concerning one of the brothers. So I tell she, ‘Man, don’t let that hurt up your head, man,’” Rafeek noted.
He said on most occasions Cholmondeley would return angry after visiting her relatives. “Them does get it out because them does want tell she all kinda thing and she does want tek it out on me,” he added.
On Wednesday night, Rafeek related that they ended up walking as one of the wheels on his bicycle was “soft” and she refused to take a minibus alone. He said Cholmondeley subsequently “stormed out” of the yard. “She tell Uncle Brian she gone and she storm out,” he said.
Rafeek further related that he left about three minutes after and rode behind her. “When I roll up now to reach her up, she started cursing and telling me don’t got nothing to tell she, move away from next to she and all kind ah nonsense. So I say man before this got to escalate into another argument again, I just continue a lil distance from she,” he said.
As they proceeded on their journey home, Rafeek said Cholmondeley walked in the middle of the road. “…She was at the back of me. I went walking on the right side, pushing the bike whilst walking, because I ain’t want ride away and lef she before you know when she come home it go be a big scene,” Rafeek recalled.
He said he kept telling Cholmondeley to get off the road but she refused to listen. “….Even a few drivers on the road had to stop and ask she, ‘Girl wah you doing on the road?’ One ah them even go to, I don’t know wah he go to do she, and I seh ‘Man lef she, she lil upset and thing’ and he just jump in the car back and he drive away,” he said. “Couple well times I try to, you know, tell she man behave she self but like every time I tell she to calm she self down, she getting more vex and start shouting more hard.”
Rafeek added that before the situation got worse, he continued walking and left Cholmondeley behind. “She run up to me… even a few people on the road start tell she, ‘Girl behave yuh self and come off the road.’ She start cursing the people them up, pelting up bottles pun the road and breaking it up all kinda thing,” he said.
At this point, Rafeek noted that the situation worsened and he contacted “Uncle Brian” and asked him to come to console Cholmondeley, who would listen to him. However, time passed and he didn’t arrive. Rafeek said he called him again. “I called him again. I tell him this girl behaving more worse, if he could please make it to come out. He didn’t come,” he added.
Loud impact
Rafeek said he didn’t witness the accident since he had already turned back with his bicycle and was returning to the home of “Uncle Brian.” He said he only heard a loud impact. “When I heard the impact, I turn back because she told me… she took off her belt and she told me she is going to strip and walk the road naked,” Rafeek said while adding, “So I seh man this thing getting worse. So I tell she, ‘Hear wah happen—if you want walk naked, you walk naked. I going back by Uncle Brian.’”
He said when he rode off, Cholmondeley verbally abused him after which she was run over by the car. “…She was cursing loud. After I rode away, she still continue cursing loud and just when I was like a distance like…. by time I turn back, I just saw her body run ova. The car drove over her, drove over her body,” he added.
Rafeek believes that if the driver was focused, he could have seen Cholmondeley on the roadway. “….She didn’t had on no dark colour. She had on a blue jeans with a blue top and blue and white boots,” he noted.
The driver, according to Rafeek, did not stop immediately after the accident. “… I run in front the vehicle to stop it. Eventually he stopped …,” he said.
The distraught man is calling for justice to be served and is hoping that the driver will be bought before the courts and face the necessary consequence.
“I would like justice to be done… I can’t understand. You are a driver, focusing on the road and you can’t see somebody on the road. How you saw a bicycle? The bike is black and red! You could see a black and red bike but you can’t see somebody with a blue top?” Rafeek questioned.
