Abusive husband burns down home

Less than an hour after he was released from police custody for beating his reputed wife, a 42-year-old carpenter torched the family’s Farm squatting area, West Bank Demerara home. It was just after 17: 00 hrs yesterday.

The small house was burnt flat and the suspect’s wife said that nothing was saved. The alleged arsonist, who was drunk at the time, remained at the scene and was arrested by the police. There are reports that he ingested a small quantity of kerosene.

Ishmail-Khan-fire  Butchers-mother-two

Rianna Ramlill, the suspect’s reputed wife, said that the torching of the home, which was built by her father, came after she had suffered some 17 years of physical abuse at the hands of her spouse.   Ms. Ramlill alleged that her husband knew carpentry but seldom worked and drank heavily. She said that he also used drugs.
He was violent and had once beaten her so severely that she suffered a broken hand. However, she never reported him to the police and remained in the relationship because of her children, she said. The couple has two sons, aged 13 and 14.
Rianna said that the man’s abuse became unbearable so she left the home last August.
Later, she said that she decided to “try with him”, and eventually returned four months later.
But the abuse continued and after he beat her on Sunday, and allegedly threatened to kill the family and torch the home, she went to the Providence Police Station. The ranks detained him. She also went to stay at a neighbour’s home.
Ms. Ramlill said that she was at her neighbours around 15:00 hrs yesterday when she heard her husband calling the couple’s sons.
“He ask when we coming home and I say that we not coming home till we go to court tomorrow (Tuesday).”
The woman said that they watched as her intoxicated husband staggered into the house. Minutes later, the woman said that she saw smoke emanating from the building and her husband staggering out.
“We see the smoke and by the time we reach, the house burn,” she said. Ramlill said that the suspect was too intoxicated to leave the scene and was still outside the house when police arrived and took him away.

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