Linden woman slapped with murder charge

“Hot water” killing

Frances Harlequin, also called ‘Blacky’, of Lot 38 Half Mile Wismar, Linden, was arraigned before Linden Magistrate Clive Nurse on Thursday for the murder of her 56-year-old uncle, Hilbert Scott, upon whom she allegedly threw hot water during an argument at their home.
Facing a charge of murder, the 42-year-old unemployed Harlequin was remanded to prison on Thursday. The woman is suspected to be mentally ill.
According to information received from the Police, Harlequin was initially charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent, then attempted murder. She was charged with murder after Scott, a security guard succumbed to his injuries.
The incident occurred at about 09:30hrs on June 16. Information from Police revealed that the two lived together but in different apartments in a flat, wooden and concrete structure. On June 16, the suspect reportedly lit a coal pot in her apartment, and the smoke started to affect Scott. While still alive in his hospital bed, Scott told investigators that he had gone over to his niece’s apartment to speak to her about the nuisance.
Harlequin reportedly became annoyed and threw a pot of hot water from off the stove on her uncle, resulting in him contracting like injuries. Scott reportedly went to the Wismar Police Station immediately after, and reported the matter, and was later escorted for medical attention.
Scot was seen and examined by a doctor at the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC), where he was treated and sent away. Shortly after Scott had made the report, the suspect reportedly also went to the said Police Station and reported that Scott had dealt her a cuff to her mouth during the incident, and she threw the water on him.
She also was sent for medical attention, but reportedly never returned to the Police Station. Harlequin was arrested by Police on June 17 and placed into custody. On June 19, she was placed on self-bail, to appear in court on June 25.
Scott was additionally charged for assault. It was reported that, on June 21, the victim started to feel unwell and was taken to the Linden Hospital Complex, where he was admitted with an infection reportedly caused by the burn injuries.
On June 25, the suspect was charged with the offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to commit murder. The matter was called before Linden Magistrate Clive Nurse, but Harlequin did not appear.
The magistrate ordered that she be summoned for court on July 9. Information from Police also revealed that while Scott was in the hospital, his condition worsened and he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He died at about 08:15h on July 2.
A file was later completed and sent for legal advice, and a post-mortem was (PME) performed on the body of Scott by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh. According to the results of that PME, conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on July 4, the cause of Scott’s death had been Generalised Sepsis or ‘Septic’. It was also revealed that the deceased was HIV positive, and the hot water which was thrown on him caused his body organs to become infected. The body was later handed over to relatives for burial.