Update: Man kills wife hours after court appearance on domestic abuse charge

Police have confirmed that the man who strangled his reputed wife to death on Friday night at Martyr’s Ville, New Scheme, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, has succumbed after taking his own life.

Police identified the man as 50-year-old Balram Heeralall also called ‘’Nappy”. He is reportedly a clothes vendor.

He murdered his reputed wife, 48-year-old Malini Wahid, whom he reportedly abused for several years.

Police said Heeralall was before the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court for assaulting and threatening the woman.

According to the police report, Wahid and Heeralall lived together and would normally have domestic issues. Earlier on Friday, the couple went to court and later returned home during which Heeralall left for work.

He later called Wahid and told her that a horse hit his car and that she must visit him at the Triumph Public Road but she refused.

About 20:15hrs, Heeralall arrived home and complained of feeling pain in his chest. According to the police, Wahid rubbed his chest and offered him tea which he refused. He then requested to go to the doctor in his car and for her to accompany him but she insisted that they take a taxi and an argument ensued.

Police said that during her cries for help, a neighbour jumped the fence and saw Heeralall choking Wahid while she lay on the floor of the living room; he was reportedly telling her to die as he choked her.

She became motionless and the suspect then attempted suicide; he was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital by paramedics of the Melanie Fire Station, where he died shortly after.

Relatives told the media that Wahid endured years of abuse at the hands of the man. They said calls to the domestic violence hotline went unanswered on Friday night and by the time the police arrived, Wahid was dead.