Just one day after setting his home on fire, 49-year-old Mohan Persaud succumbed while receiving treatment at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) having ingested a poisonous substance following the incident.
At the time of his demise, the Parika Backdam labourer was under Police guard at the medical institution, suspected to be the perpetrator behind the arson of his family home.
Police investigations revealed that Persaud had returned home from work on Sunday in an intoxicated state, which resulted in a confrontation between himself and his wife. The dispute then ended with the man threatening his wife, saying, “‘I will teach you a lesson,” relatives said.
What remains of the Parika Backdam house
Just after midnight, the woman was awakened by the smell of smoke and discovered that their two-storey wooden home was engulfed in flames. It was only after the family managed to escape the inferno that the labourer indicated that he had consumed a poisonous substance.
As such, he was rushed to the WDRH at about 01:00h on Monday.
The 49-year-old man leaves to mourn his wife and three children, who are now homeless as a result of the fire which burnt their house to the ground.
Police have since confirmed that the fire was intentionally set.
