By Readawne Henery
An Albouystown woman is now dead after being fatally chopped by her former partner, who her family say continued to stalk, abuse and threaten her although they had been separated for the past six years.
Clarabel Johnson, 28, was attacked a few houses away from the Lot 142 Cooper Street, Albouys-town home she shared with her parents.
Police last evening said they had arrested the alleged attacker with whom Johnson shared three children, ages 11, 9 and 7. They said they went to a location in James Street, Albouystown where they arrested him.
A Guyana Police Force statement said the woman’s former partner carried out the attack around 6.25 am, following a misunderstanding between the two. It noted that the suspect chopped Johnson with a cutlass behind her right knee. She was subsequently picked up by neighbours and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), where she died while receiving treatment at 7.21 am.
A resident of the area, who asked not to be named, told this newspaper that he saw Johnson leaving her home and the attack on her by her former partner occurred a short distance away. He said she was chopped and hit to the back of her head and was left on the street, where she was bleeding a lot. Other residents who were alerted quickly called a taxi to transport her to the hospital.
Patricia Johnson, the mother of the deceased, told Stabroek News that her daughter had separated from the man some six years ago after his continued abuse proved too much for her to bear.
The mother said up to Monday last, the man visited her home and made threats to kill Clarabel.
She added that despite a restraining order placed against him and countless requests for him to leave Clarabel alone, he did not.
After leaving her partner and returning home, the mother said Clarabel took up vending in order to care for her three children.
The mother recalled that at about 6 am yesterday, Clarabel entered her bedroom and told her good morning and then left. She and her husband stayed in bed but they were alerted approximately 20 minutes later, when they heard calls from a resident, who related to them that their daughter had been chopped.
The mother said her husband quickly ran out of the house and went to his daughter’s side before going with her to the hospital. She noted that when she looked outside she saw a crowd gathered around Clarabel. She was later told by medical personnel that her daughter did not make it after arriving at the hospital.
Nadira Persaud, a sister of the deceased, told this newspaper that she was happy when her sister returned home and began vending in order to take care of both herself and her children. She remember cautioning Clarabel against taking anything from her former partner for the children.
Persaud disclosed that the suspect attacked her sister on many occasions and had even chopped her before. The woman revealed that Clarabel had been previously chopped in her face and also on one of her hands, resulting in nerve damage in the case of the latter.
Persaud said she tried telling the suspect to leave her sister alone and recalled him issuing threats to her as a result. She added that although she told the man the law could settle “bad man like him,” he responded by saying “me ain’t frighten no body.”
Organisations that can be contacted for counselling and support services for persons who have experienced or are experiencing abuse include: Help & Shelter (225-4731, 227-3454, 227-9353), Red Thread (227-0909, 227-2575, 641-7326, 646-5075), Blossom Incorporated (680-6700), Child Link Incorporated (223-3500, 227-2023, 623-8496) and United Bricklayers (333-3322, 333-4524, 696-9803).
