…relatives hand over recording of woman’s version of events to Police
One day after 20-year-old Analee Gonsalves succumbed to her injuries while receiving medical attention at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), her family released a recording of the woman debunking claims that she was burned with porridge by her 24-year-old husband.
It was previously reported that on August 23, 2022, Gonsalves was doused with hot porridge during an argument with her alleged abusive husband at their La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home.
A relative of the dead woman told this publication that they were first told that the woman was burned on the face while cooking, but when they arrived at the hospital, they were told that she was burned with boiling porridge by her husband during an argument.
However, this publication was informed that after the incident, an investigation was launched but it was delayed because Gonsalves had refused to give detectives a statement.
This, the family said, was because the woman wanted to save her children – a one-month-old and an 18-month-old – before telling them the truth.
It was further reported that this was not the first time Gonsalves was abused by the man.
Following the incident, the woman was admitted as a patient at the hospital with severe burns to her face, back, and other parts of her body.
Her husband, who was later identified as 24-year-old Ajay Persaud called “Nicholas”, had escaped and was on the run.
However, on Saturday the dead woman’s grandmother told this publication that after the rumour about her granddaughter being burned with hot porridge kept circulating, she along with family members released the recording of the woman’s statement to the Police and also on social media.
In the recording, the now-dead woman, who seemed to be in excruciating pain, said that the tale her husband is telling is not true.
In the recording she is heard saying, “On the 23rd of August, we [she and her husband] had an argument concerning a boxers. He did wan go on the road and the boxers he did wan, it didn’t dry, it did wet and he start cussing and throwing thing and suh in de room. Ah had nuff work fuh do, ah had to look after baby, ah had to mek dinner, ah had to drop meh netting and ah get angry and ah tek de cologne bottle and the cream and ah start throw dem through the window and while I throwing dem through de window… ah mek he bird cage fall down.”
The woman continued relating her story saying, “So when the bird cage fall down, he starting cussing up that if me know how much he bird worth and nothing in de room ain’t worth more than he bird. He look fuh he cutlass but he ain’t find it. And den he come back and open de methylated bottle, I went on de bed with me one-month-old baby, she deh lie down a lil part away from me and I de sit down…he open de methylated bottle… he start throwing it on me, and ah start stifle and ah turn over and lie down on meh belly and before ah turn round back, he spark he lighter… from behind…”.
She recalled that, “Meh baby went on the bed, ah didn’t want she get burn and the fire start ketching and he throw a sheet on me. And when he throw de sheet, the fire didn’t out and he pull me up but he couldn’t pull me up because de top that ah had on de already burn off.”
“Ah try pulling off meh pants and while ah pulling off meh pants he holler fuh Ashley, one ah he sister-in-law that went home, only she de went home with we, she did cooking. When he shout fuh Ashley, she run in de room and scramble the baby and then he guh and he shout fuh he mother from de veranda because she was at de street head not far from where we living. When he shout fuh he mother, she come in, when she come in now, she carry we at de hospital. When we reach at de hospital, she tell me that leh ah don’t talk de truth that Nicholas bun me, leh me seh that ah de boiling porridge and de stove blow up and de porridge bun me,” the woman is heard saying in the recording.
“When we deh at de hospital now, he (Persaud) get admit at Bess Hospital (for minor burns he received) and me get transfer to Georgetown (GPHC). The ambulance bring me (to GPHC) and lil after, he mother come. She did not inform my parents about anything, she tell de doctor dat she is my mother.”
“De next day (August 24), one of her friends come and visit me, a lady name Sabrina. When Sabrina come, he (Persaud) call on aunty Sabrina phone fuh talk to me and he tell me dat how if I talk de truth he gon kill he self and kill meh two children dem, that is why I never give de correct statement wah happen,” she explained.
The now dead woman claimed that after receiving the threat, she began thinking about her children and their safety. In the recording, she said she was praying to get better to save her children, but that never happened.
“Ah de waiting fuh go home and get meh children dem and then talk wah he do to me. But, after de pain start getting overbearing, ah give a statement. And now a feel like giving up because de pain getting more worse and worse. Somebody got to do something about he. Somebody got to do something about he.”
“…and a want meh children dem, when ah go home, ah want meh children dem. Ah want meh mother to get control ova ma children dem,” Gonsalves cried in the recording.
Following the incident, an intelligence-led operation by the Police in Region Six resulted in the arrest of Persaud, who was later slapped with an attempted murder charge.
He remains in prison but is expected to make his next court appearance on October 20, when a murder charge will be instituted.
Meanwhile, the woman’s family said that they are hoping that the man faces the full brunt of the law and that justice for the death of the mother of two be served soon.
