Relatives of Kareema Mary Cholmondeley are still seeking answers as to what exactly transpired on the night of her death since they said they do not believe her husband’s account.
“For me, is my sister I would like she to get justice yes but I don’t know wah play out deh that night. I have no idea. …..All I could say whatever correspond that night, is only God, she (Cholmondeley) and the driver know and Asif,” Maria, Cholmondeley eldest sister yesterday told Stabroek News.
“…No no no it ain’t measuring. I ain’t believe,” her uncle Brian Bob popularly known as “Uncle Brian” said.
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 Asif 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 (Rafeek) 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 was unable to avoid driving 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.
Traffic Chief Linden Isles, when contacted for an update on the matter yesterday informed Stabroek News that both parties were released on bail as the investigation continues.
Family members yesterday related to Stabroek News that until the truth of what transpired is told to them, they are blaming Rafeek for the teen’s death.
They said they believe that on the night of the incident, Rafeek and Cholmondeley were engaged in a heated argument during which she was assaulted which resulted in her ending up lying on the road.
Rafeek, in a recent interview with this newspaper had denied pushing Cholmondeley into the path of the car that allegedly ran over her.
He had maintained his innocence while stating that he was nowhere near Cholmondeley when she was run over.
“…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 had said.
“…On the road they had whatever it is. Me suggestion, Asif and she had a tumble, she (Cholmondeley) is a girl don’t tek lef. You nah go hit she and she gone tek it. She gone seh all kind thing. And he in a passion, he gone tek anything and do anything fah geh fah stable she and I feel she must get a blow and fall down there and be time he go fah pick up he bike, dah car run ova dah girl…duh is me suggestion and when he do realize is a car run over Mary, then is when he get frustrated and call on me. Dah is me point of view,” Bob told Stabroek News yesterday.
“Could have left her alone”
Bob said he believes that Cholmondeley could have still been alive if Rafeek had left her alone on the night of the incident knowing she was angry.
“….Mary get lick down. Now wah I keep saying is that since Asif left, since Mary left hay, they had to had something… He should have gone he way. He should have gone home and left Mary. She woulda either go home or come back hay. Dah is wah I blaming he fah until I hear the truth,” Bob said, while adding, “whenever done is a life, you could tell me anything but they can’t go with that in front the magistrate and then they got dead certificate, multiple crush injuries.”
Bob related that both Cholmondeley and Rafeek visited his Middle Dam, Bel Air home on Wednesday morning. He said they arrived separately but spent all day.
They left for home about 9pm after Cholmondeley got angry. Rafeek followed her after Bob said he insisted.
Shortly after arriving at his place, Bob said Cholmondeley went into his house and asked him what they would be cooking. “I seh wahever you want cook duh is wah we eating. I seh wah you got in mind. She left she come downstairs, then she come up back. When she come up back, she seh well we gone cook mackerel and potato and I seh I ain’t got no problem. I put the money and I seh go buy whatever it is and we set up,” Bob recalled.
He said Cholmondeley went to the shop and later returned after which she told him she was going to her father’s place, a short distance away.
By time she returned, Bob said he had finished preparing the food. While all this was happening, Rafeek remained at Bob’s place.
When Cholmondeley returned from her father’s place, Bob said she called him outside of the yard. “She seh Uncle Brian come. When I go out deh, she seh like them had some kinda talking deh and me name calling, I musn’t got time with them. I seh man I is a big man, me ain’t got time with them, me aint want hear duh,” Bob said.
He noted that Cholmondeley did not go into details as to what had been said.
After this, Bob said Rafeek called Cholmondeley and he went to the back of his yard with some friends.
They ate and according to Bob he later noticed Cholmondeley walk past him and leave the yard. She appeared to be angry. “You know like when a person vex, she pass me straight, in a rate. So when she meet out, I seh `Mary Mary come’. She turn back from by the road and come down deh and she seh `wah happen?’ and I she come in and she seh `no man, me nah get time, I got far fah walk’ and she lef and she walk away,” Bob recalled.
Bob said it appears as though, Rafeek and Cholmondeley had an exchange of words which resulted in her becoming angry.
He said he asked Rafeek if this was so but he responded in the negative. “Asif went sit down and I ask he if he and Mary get a problem and he seh “no Uncle Brian just so she went in the washroom and come out and walk out in dah rate”. So I turn to him and I seh, well you can’t sit down here and she gone out deh, you got to go behind her. And he left,” Bob further recalled.
After half an hour after, he said Rafeek called him and said “Uncle Brian come” so when I hear…I seh wait, Asif aint reach home yet? Anyway I get up and I went by the corner. When I go by the corner now, me ain’t observe nothing,” Bob said.
At that time, he said it was raining so he didn’t venture further but returned home. “Soon as I sit down, the phone ring again. “Uncle Brian yuh deh on yuh way?” I seh wait, I coming, I coming,” Bob stated.
He said he went for his motorcycle and was about to leave again when he received another call from Rafeek. “I seh I deh on meh way coming. This time I didn’t left yet. I left and I went out. When I approaching Caricom (Secretariat) now, the phone ring again `Uncle Brian weh yuh deh?’ I she bai I deh on me way. Well I suggest the phone cut off deh because dah is all I get to say”, he added.
Bob said before he could have arrived at the scene, Rafeek called again but this time to inform him that “Mary just get lick down”.
Bob said upon proceeding along the road, he parked his motorcycle due to a build-up in traffic. As he got closer, he said he saw Cholmondeley’s lifeless body on the ground. She appeared to be dead already.
No mental issues
Rafeek had 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, he 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.
However, Maria yesterday said Cholmondeley was a “funny and loving child” who had “no mental issues.”
“I hearing people saying that she was suicidal and this that. No….. And at least I know she didn’t taking on mommy, she didn’t taking on Arnold (deceased brother) because when mommy die, I could tell you it feel her a bit. When Arnold die, it feel her a bit but she was a normal person. Normal as who knows,” Maria explained.
She recalled that on the afternoon before her death, Cholmondeley visited her and they had a normal conversation. “I seh “wam dog is how you reach hay?’ she seh man she now come and thing and we gaff and thing and I seh alright man I going upstairs fah get this thing done and by time I turn round, she done gone. Me aint see she back, so I left it at that because I know she does deh by Uncle Brian,” Maria said.
Maria explained that during the funeral preparation, she noticed what appeared to be marks of violence about Cholmondeley body. “…I don’t know but when I look at her, her marks of violence …..is I bathe she…. and I still want to know….so she was beaten before she die. It show on her body,” Maria said.
