By Bibi Khatoon
A lot 68 Sideline Dam, Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara (ECD) woman who was murdered by her husband on Wednesday suffered years of abuse, according to a neighbour.
Forty-four-year-old Venette Headley-James was stabbed to death by her husband, Sherlock James at her home which she shared with her 78-year-old father and three of her eight children.
The incident occurred at about 12:50hrs.
The couple has known each other for 26 years and married for 20. They share eight children with the oldest being 26 and the youngest 9-years-old.
Brenda Haywood, who resides opposite the house, told the media that on Sunday night (August 18), the mother of eight rushed over to her house with two stab wounds.
“She ran over at me with a stab wound here [indicating a spot on the left side cheek], and one at her neck and she told me the small daughter has one in her back,” Haywood recalled.
It was on that night she learnt that Venette was being abused by her husband of 20 years.
“She came over the night and she say years this going on, abuse too much,” Haywood recalled.
“She says every time she start working, he accuses her of having some man…when she start dressing and making herself nice, is some man,” the neigbour told reporters.
Venette would usually sell stationery and other items in front of her house and sometimes travel to the market to ply her trade.
“I was counselling her. I say ‘man I don’t like what is going on, I say many times these things does lead to murder. Abuse…you shouldn’t be silent about it. I say speak out about abuse,” she recalled telling Venette on Sunday night.
The neighbour believes that if Venette had confided in her before, she would have been able to prevent the incident from happening.
Haywood said on Wednesday, she heard shouting at the house and then saw Venette in a car covered in blood.
Police in a report on Wednesday confirmed that the couple had an argument over an alleged extramarital relationship.
Murder could have been prevented
The Police also confirmed that on Sunday night, James who is a gold miner assaulted his wife and fled the area.
Police had noted that James works in the interior for long periods.
One of James’ colleagues, Hamley Layne told the News Room that the incident could have been avoided if the Police acted on reports received on Sunday night.
Struggling to come to grips with what occurred, Layne known as ‘Toney’ told the News Room that Venette ran out of the yard and begged him to help her –a scream which is now engraved in his mind and affects his ability to sleep.
“I was awoken by sounds of calls for help from Venette and [her eldest daughter] saying ‘Toney come and help me, daddy just juck ma mother.’
“By the time I come around from around my house, a car was passing at the same time and pick her up. By the time I reach out, she was already on her way to the hospital,” Layne said.
He recalled that he and James were scheduled to travel to Puruni, Region Seven on Tuesday night but the trip was cancelled after the driver refused to go on the journey.
Layne recalled speaking with James on Wednesday but saw no signs of what was to follow.
In fact, he said he has never known James to be an abusive person.
“I know the person for a long time and I…think it had to be something more drastic for him to go and do something like that… he is a person that like family. He is a person like will go to the extent to make sure his family get wuh they need,” Layne said.
After stabbing her in the neck with a kitchen knife, James fled the scene and was found by the Police in a bushy area with a wound to the neck.
The News Room understands that James was seen breaking a bottle before he was found and it believed that he used the same bottle to inflict the wound to the neck.
He was escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he is presently receiving treatment under Police guard.
