Thirty-two-year-old taxi driver, Edmon Moses, who was hospitalised in a critical condition after allegedly being set ablaze by his partner, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday morning.
Seven weeks ago, Moses was doused with a substance and allegedly set ablaze by the mother of his child during an argument over missing money from his wallet.
A police report stated that the incident occurred at about 7.30 pm on May 22 at Lot 99-100 New Market Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown.
Melissa David, 24, also of New Market Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown, appeared before Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on May 24, where she was charged with the attempted murder of her partner.
She was not required to plead to the charge. The charge will now likely be upgraded.
The prosecutor told the magistrate that on the day in question at around 16.30 hours, Moses was in his apartment and left the sum of $18,000 in his wallet. As he was about to leave to go out, 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 allegedly 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.
When given the opportunity by the magistrate to explain what had 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, she noted, 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 in order 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.”
