Woman narrowly escapes death after husband’s brutal cutlass attack

Tormented and ‘fed-up’ of his wife, an Essequibo mechanic decided to act on his numerous reported threats to kill her in the early hours of Wednesday morning when he dealt her several chops about the body as she lay sleeping. He then consumed poison in an effort to take his own life.

The woman, Melissa Durga, a mother of three who hailed from Abrams Creek in Lower Pomeroon, but was presently residing at Walton Hall on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) was awakened around 04:30h on Wednesday by several chops from her common-law husband, Mohammed Rakfeek Ali. Both Durga and Ali are presently patients at the Suddie Public Hospital.

The husband and wife, lying on separate beds at the hospital, spoke to this media house about the incident and of living in an abusive relationship.

Ali, a mechanic, related that he was ‘fed-up’ with his wife’s attitude and related that on numerous occasions she left her children unprotected and ventured into “different relationships”. He said he spoke to his wife several times about her lifestyle, but she continued to leave the children and responsibilities on his shoulders. The man said he regretted what he did, but he snapped after enduring too much emotional pain in the marriage.

On the other hand, Durga said the problem was created when she revealed to Ali that she was not going to take him back. Durga said she and Ali separated and she only visited his home, so she could spend some time with her children at Easter. The woman claimed that Ali threatened to kill her several times, and these threats were reported to the police.

Relating the story, the woman said she was asleep around 04:30h on Wednesday morning when Ali started to chop her about the body. Durga said she woke up startled, as several chops were pelted in her direction. She received five chops to her back, one to her left hand and one to her right eye. The mother said she started screaming, after which her children came to her rescue.

She managed to escape through the front door, while her husband also left and immediately reached for poison which he consumed.

The woman’s daughter, Shafeena Ali, said that all she heard were “screams coming from the top of the bed”. Shafeena, who is 12 years old, explained that she usually slept with her brother on the floor in their small house.

The secondary school student said she immediately rushed over to her badly wounded mother, who was bleeding profusely. She then rushed over to her aunts who live nearby to assist in taking both parents to the hospital.

The still traumatised 12-year-old said her mother was separated from them and she begged her mom to return, so that they could spend time together for Easter. The girl said she did not hear her parents fighting or quarrelling.

She, however, alluded to the fact that she would usually hear her father making threats to kill her mother. The couple shared an abusive relationship for 13 years and that union brought forth two children. Durga was reported to have been in previous relationships, and also has another child.

Meanwhile, Ali is presently battling for his life at the hospital and is currently under Police guard. Police are continuing their investigations. (Indrawattie Natram)