A prison warden on Wednesday fatally stabbed his wife at the National Psychiatric Hospital, Fort Canje, Berbice, where she worked.
Dead is 23-year-old Lonnett Nicholson-Prince of Lot 11 Levi Dam Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.
The mother of a three-year-old daughter was stabbed 15 times to her body by her husband, who later turned himself over to the Police in the company of an attorney.
The man, a prison warden stationed at the Mazaruni Prison, and the now dead woman separated some five months ago as result of domestic violence.
Dead: Lonnett Nicholson-Prince
Guyana Times understands that the prison warden walked into the cosmetology department at the National Psychiatric Hospital, whipped out a knife and attacked Nicholson-Prince, a hairdresser.
At the time of the attack, one of the woman’s colleagues, Hollyann Daniels, was in the room. Speaking with this publication, Daniels said the man entered the room and asked to speak with Nicholson-Prince. “Then she turn and ask him if is just so he does kick open somebody door and then she get up and say that they have nothing to talk about.”
She related that the man then whipped out a knife and began stabbing the woman. She said that he continuously stabbed her colleague to the upper part of her body.
Daniels explained that as she raised the alarm, the man turned his attention to her and attempted to stab her also. She added that she managed to escape the bloody attack. This newspaper was told that after stabbing the 23-year-old, the man ran out of the Hospital with two employees in hot pursuit. However, they were unable to apprehend him.
The undertakers taking away the body
Meanwhile, the badly injured Nicholson-Prince was pronounced dead on arrival at the New Amsterdam Hospital, which is located opposite the National Psychiatric Hospital.
The dead woman’s father, Michael Nicholson told Guyana Times the couple had been having marital problems over the past five months. According to Nicholson, his daughter had moved from the couple’s home and was living with him in the interest of her safety.
He told this publication that his daughter had continuously related to him the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband.
He said she was threatened that if she was to report the alleged abuse to anyone, she would be killed. This prompted the worried father to remove the cosmetologist from her abuser’s home and take her to his home. The distraught father added that after his son-in-law threatened to kill his daughter, she reported the matter to the Police and he was charged. The grieving father related that his son-in-law requested for the matter to be settled out of court, noting that he had promised to file for divorce.
Hollyann Daniels who escaped
Nicholson said his son-in-law was in the habit of hitting his daughter in her head but seemed to have changed recently and approached him for prayers.
The father related that he dropped his daughter off to work on Wednesday morning and noticed his son-in-law in the vicinity of the Canje Bridge.
Following the incident, Nicholson went back to the area where he had earlier seen the man and found the clothing which he was wearing when he committed the act.
The woman leaves to mourn four siblings, a daughter, and her parents.
Following the incident, security at the mental institution was questioned.
Director of Regional Health Services Jevaughn Stephen said at the time of the incident, there were three guards on duty, adding that it was also clinic day. Stephen said the suspect was a regular visitor to his wife, so no one thought his visit was suspicious. However, he noted that security will be tightened at the institution.
