After separating less than a month ago, a Rosignol, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) cane harvester took his own life shortly after brutally stabbing his ex-girlfriend on Saturday.
Dead is 26-year-old Adhryean Anthony Persaud of lot 4 Bacchus Street, Rosignol, West Bank Berbice (WBB), while the injured woman has been identified as 21-year-old Maria Singh of Lot 3 Bennet Dam, Rosignol.
Injured: Maria Singh
The woman was reportedly stabbed while in a vehicle at a service station on the Rosignol Public Road.
Reports are that the couple had been living together for just over one year and had separated several times during that period. However, three weeks ago they again parted ways and Singh moved in with relatives just one house away from Persaud.
According to Arifa Hackim, her niece left home to go to work on Saturday and shortly after, she received a report that Singh was stabbed and taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital.
It was reported that Singh, who works as a cook at Big B’s Restaurant in the village, was scheduled to work at another location and had boarded a motor car which made a stop at the Sheriff Service Station to fuel up.
The young woman was in the front passenger seat with the window wound up. However, after the driver exited the vehicle, Persaud opened the back door and attacked his former partner with a knife before escaping.
Singh received a stab wound to her foot, two to her breast and one each to her thigh and arm.
Adhryean Anthony Persaud
The injured woman was rushed to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital, where she was treated and then transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. She is presently receiving further treatment and her condition is listed as critical.
Persaud had been living with his grandmother since he was a toddler.
The grandmother, Rhadika Persaud-Johnson, told this publication that on Saturday morning Persaud was in the yard looking suspicious.
“I see he dah riding in front, he probably watching to see if he gon see she. He say, ‘Mummy I gon catch her, because dem does carry she with taxi’. Anyway, when me see he do come in I see he thrown down the bicycle and the bag breathless and he ask fo the key to open the back gate. ‘Mummy! Mummy, me gon dead; me just now bore up ‘Nalo’ and me ent know if ‘Nalo’ ah go dead but me ah go dead’.”
The woman said Persaud then took a bottle with a substance and started drinking its contents. Her efforts to take it away from him were futile.
“He run in the bush and he fall down and they go and search fo he and dem find he. When he come, he come with wet skin and he fall down and start to vomit green, green,” she recalled.
Persaud was taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital and admitted under guard. However, he died at about 00:30h on Sunday while receiving treatment.
Family history
Persaud has three siblings, and his mother also took her life when Persaud was a kid.
Meanwhile, Singh was still in her mother’s womb when the woman was set on fire. Doctors had to surgically save the unborn child by removing her from the mother’s uterus. Singh’s father then took his life after his wife was burnt.
According to the Singh’s uncle, Nicholas Madray, after the couple separated, Persaud had been stalking her and had threatened to take her life. He said on one occasion he came over to his house and was banging on the walls. The Police had to be summoned.
“The Sergeant came and spoke to him, but after the Police left he came back again…”
Meanwhile, the aunt added that only Thursday, Persaud had gone to Singh’s place of work and physically assaulted her, demanding that she give him a phone and some tablets. She explained that after Singh was put out of the house, she had left with some household items.
“She give him the pots and gas stove and he keep saying that he want the phone but she say that it is her phone, but he still fighting her. He went by her workplace saying that he want the charger and some tablets,” Hackim explained.
The grandmother admitted that Persaud was physically abusive to Singh.
