Attempted murder charges for man accused of fire attack on family

A West Berbice man was remanded to prison when he appeared before Magistrate Tejnarine Ramroop at the Blairmont Court on Monday to answer charges of three counts of attempted murder.

The court heard that around 1 am on December 18, Compton Aaron of Hopetown Village reportedly doused his ex-reputed wife, Ann Simon and her two children, five-year-old Prince Todd and Osafo Aaron, 3, with a flammable substance and setting them alight.

Reports say that Simon heard the sound of someone walking in her kitchen. She was about to go and check when the man reportedly sprayed her with the substance and set her alight. He then dropped the bottle and the contents caught a sponge on the floor where she had been sleeping with Prince and Osafo and her one-year-old son.

The flames missed the baby completely but the boys’ feet started to burn. The woman’s 10-year-old son who had been sleeping on a sofa grabbed the bottle and hurled it out of the window while she “brushed” the fire off the children.”

Simon and the children were rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital where they were admitted.

Aaron who had been on the run ever since was arrested on Sunday at the home of his mother. He was remanded to prison until the case comes up again on February 5 at the Fort Wellington Court.