Birthday horror
-- husband hangs self after chopping wife
By Shirley Thomas

DEAD: Abdool Hafeez
DOCTORS at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) were up to late last night battling to save the life of a 27-year old mother of four, brutally hacked by her reputed husband who, following the attack, hung himself with a cement sling from the roof of their bedroom at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.

The tragedy struck just hours after the mother turned 27.

Dead is Abdool Hafeez, 33, a cane harvester of Lot 12, Tuschen Highway. His reputed wife, Agnes Henry, formerly of Waramuri, North West, was rushed to the GPHC shortly after 03:00 h yesterday nursing multiple chop wounds to the head and other parts of her body.

She was last night unconscious after emergency surgery and hospital officials said she urgently needed five pints of blood.

Realtives said the incident was triggered Tuesday night when Abdool, who was known to be ‘troubling with his nerves’, apparently ‘tripped’ and became violent in the home, chopping the woman with a sharpened cutlass he had in his room.

BADLY CHOPPED: Agnes Henry
Relatives said the entire ordeal was witnessed by the couple’s eldest daughter, Bibi Shameeza, 10, who, along with the other three siblings, shared the modest wooden one bedroom home with their parents.
The dead man’s mother, Bibi Shahidan Khan, told the Guyana Chronicle her son had been suffering the `nerves’ condition for several years, and was placed on medication to retain his sanity.

She said he probably drank too much alcohol during the Christmas holidays and began ‘acting up’.

On Tuesday, out of caution, his wife Agnes took him to the West Demerara Hospital where he was treated and given saline because of his dehydrated condition.

Khan said the couple returned home from the hospital around 17:00 and Abdool began nagging his wife and hurling threats at her. That behaviour continued throughout the night, despite pleadings from both the wife and his mother.


BIBI SHAHIDAN KHAN, right, and the couple’s four children
The grief stricken mother, who lives in the front house in the yard, said it was shortly before 03:00 h yesterday that the commotion in the couple’s house behind hers intensified. She said she eventually heard Agnes saying to her husband: “Come leh awe hug up and go sleep.”
The young woman apparently went into the bed with him, and that was when he began attacking her.
Khan said she heard her daughter-in-law screaming and shouting for help. Frantically, the elderly woman said, she ran over and banged at the door pleading with him to open up, but he refused.
She said she sought the help of a younger brother, but the door was shut tight from inside.

Eventually, they heard what they perceived to be chops being dealt to the woman. This went on for several minutes, and it was not until the woman rolled off the bed and he figured her to be dead, that Abdool ceased chopping and decided to take his own life.


THE house in which the woman was chopped and Abdool hung himself
Relatives said the apparently deranged man climbed onto his bed and suspended himself from the roof where his body was found hanging.
The terrified 10-year old then opened up the door and let her grandmother and uncle inside. On beholding the tragedy and the room spattered with blood, they immediately sought help and summoned the Police.
The badly wounded woman was rushed to the GPHC and Abdool taken to the West Demerara Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Paula Henry, sister of the wounded woman, who spoke with the Guyana Chronicle at the GPHC, said that for the greater part of 15 years, her sister had experienced a stormy relationship with the now dead man who inflicted violence on her.

Amidst beatings, she often sought refuge at her sister’s home, but would return home when the storm was over, she said.

Abdool leaves to mourn his mother Bibi Shahidan Khan, wife Agnes, children Bibi Shameeza 10; Rahman, seven; Adil, six, Sheneeza, two; two bothers and one sister.

Thursday, January 04, 2007