By Mia Anthony
Twenty-four-year-old Melissa David, of New Market Street, North Cummings-burg, Georgetown, appeared before Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday where she was charged with the attempted murder of her partner.
It was alleged that on May 22, at New Market Street, Georgetown, she attempted to murder Edmond Moses by setting him on fire.
David was not required to plead to the charge.
Prosecutor Quincy Lacon, told the magistrate that on the day in question at around 16.30 hours, Moses was in his apartment and left a sum of $18,000 in his wallet. As he was about to exit, David asked him for money to buy Ensure to which he replied that she should use her own money to buy it. An argument eventually ensued and David picked up a container filled with what was suspected to be gasoline and threw it at Moses, then using a lighter, set him on fire.
According to eyewitnesses Moses tried to get help from David but she refused and he managed to extinguish the fire by using a shower in the yard. He was then rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he is currently a patient nursing burn wounds.
When given the opportunity by the magistrate to explain what happened, David told the magistrate that she was cleaning and asked Moses to buy some Ensure and juices for her son and he responded that she should get it herself. This led to an argument and Moses eventually left the apartment and returned at around 18.30 hours.
“He walked into my room and asked for the wallet. I told him that I have his wallet that I had found it.” This prompted her to get up from her bed and ask him to leave. “He punched me in my left eye and I fell onto the bed. He started to choke me; I couldn’t breathe and had to pretend that I passed out, after this he cuffed me in my belly and kicked me.” Thereafter Moses locked the room door preventing her from getting out to further assault her. “He asked me for the wallet [and] I gave it back to him. He took away my phone and placed it in his pocket.” She related that he then reached for a knife that she had kept in her room and threatened to take her life.
“I asked to be let out of the room and for my phone but he continued to block my way and hitting me, he was aiming the knife to stab me.” In tears, the young woman told the magistrate that her only alternative was to defend herself. “The gasoline that belonged to him, I pour it out and throw it on him all because I tried to leave and he kept hitting me and I kept begging for him to let me go.”
Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus then asked about the history of abuse in the relationship. David replied that she has been enduring two years of abuse at the hands of Moses. She told of one instance where she tried to get help from the police but because of the friendship between the police and Moses, he was let off with a warning only. Then, when they returned home after the ordeal, he backed her into the bathroom and threatened to take her life if she ever again attempted to have him arrested and this was followed by a beating. “I was so scared after that I never attempted anything again”.
In rebuttal, the prosecutor told the court that he did not doubt David’s version of the events but still had to maintain his objection given the circumstances along with the seriousness of the offence and the penalty attached.
He also told the magistrate that if Moses was to succumb to his injuries, a greater charge may be brought before the accused.
Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus stood the matter down to have David receive legal counsel and after a short adjournment she was represented by attorney-at-law Tifaine Rutherford from the Legal Aid Clinic, along with Donette Anthony, who made an application for bail on David’s behalf.
However, the magistrate did not immediately grant bail, but gave a date two weeks hence for disclosure and reconsideration of bail.
According to a previous police report, the 32-year-old taxi driver was hospitalized in serious condition after he was allegedly doused with a substance and set ablaze by his child’s mother during an argument over missing money from his wallet.
The matter was adjourned to June 7.
