Ricardo Kattow, the East Coast fisherman who allegedly murdered his reputed wife, Aneeza Ishmael, and attempted suicide by consuming a poisonous substance afterwards, yesterday made his first court appearance at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court where he was charg-ed and remanded to prison.
Kattow, 27, also called ‘Otis’ of Hope Estate, East Coast Demerara (ECD) appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore who read the charge to him. He was not required to plead since the matter was laid indictably. Otis is expected to make his second appearance on April 25th when the case against him will be called again. According to a press release previously issued by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Kattow and his 26-year-old wife of the same address, had ongoing domestic issues and he frequently accused her of being unfaithful.
On March 3rd the now deceased woman left Kattow for her friend’s house at Better Hope, ECD where she stayed for a few days. She returned home on March 6th at about 10:00hrs in the company of her 21-year-old sister of Kersaint Park, ECD, with the intention of collecting her belongings. However, she was confronted by Kattow who asked her not to leave but Ishmael insisted that she was only there to collect her belongings. Kattow then pulled a knife from his waist and attacked Ishmael.
Seeing her sister under attack, Ishmael’s sister pushed her away from Kattow and told her to run, which she did. Kattow pursued and caught up with her in the yard where he inflicted stabs to her neck, face and hands, causing her to fall to the ground. The Police release said that Kattow then launched an attack on the sister. She managed to resist him but not before sustaining a wound to her left thumb.
The release also stated that Kattow inflicted several wounds on himself and then consumed a poisonous substance leading to him collapsing on the ground. On their arrival at the scene, the police said that both Ishmael and Kattow were examined and escorted to the CC Nicholson Hospital at Nabaclis, ECD where they were admitted. However, at about 12:20hrs, Ishmael died while receiving medical attention; Kattow was later transferred to the George-town Public Hospital and was admitted under guard.
The suspected murder weapon, which was a knife along with an empty bottle, suspected to have contained a poisonous substance were also recovered in the couple’s yard.
