Vinnette Headley-James, the mother of eight who was fatally stabbed by her husband at her Nabaclis Sideline Dam, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home on Wednesday afternoon, suffered years of abuse and had even been stabbed days before the fatal attack, a neighbour has said.
Brenda Haywood told reporters that Headley-James rushed over to her house on Sunday evening with about two stab wounds to her body. She had been attacked by her husband of over 20-years, Sherlock James, called ‘Loomie,’ who then fled the scene. He returned on Wednesday.
Haywood said when Headley-James visited her home and she learnt of the abuse, she tried to counsel her.
“She (Headley-James) come ova the night (Sunday) and she telling me ‘Teacher Brenda,’ she seh ‘Years this going on.’ Abuse, she seh, too much… So I was counselling her. I seh man I don’t like what is going on. I seh yuh see many times these things does lead to murder. Abuse, meh seh yuh shouldn’t be silent about it. Meh seh speak out about abuse,” Haywood said.
She added that Headley-James kept to herself most times and only broke her silence on Sunday evening, when the situation appeared to have spiraled out of control.
“When she came over the night (Sunday), then I learn so many things from her,” Haywood noted.
Haywood explained that based on what Headley-James told her, James constantly accused her of infidelity.
“She seh every time she start working, he accuse her of some man. Is some man. When she start dressing and you know making herself nice, is some man,” she related.
“She (Headley-James) didn’t deserve this. He coulda walk away. She leave eight children. You know it is very sad. I am a mother,” Haywood said.
Headley-James, 46, a clothes vendor, was fatally stabbed around 12.50 pm on Wednesday during an argument at the Lot 68 Nabaclis Sideline Dam home she shared with her husband and three of their eight children.
The argument reportedly stemmed from James accusing Headley-James of having an extra-marital relationship.
Following the attack, James, a gold miner, was discovered lying in the backyard by the police with a wound to his throat.
He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he remained a patient under police guard up to yesterday afternoon.
An autopsy performed on Headley-James’ body yesterday showed that she died as a result of multiple stab wounds.
Her sister, Charlene Headley, yesterday said that Headley-James had a wound to her neck and about five stab wounds about her body.
James, who works in the interior, would normally spend long periods away from home. He returned home on Saturday and reportedly accused his wife of having an extra-marital relationship.
At the time of the stabbing, the couple’s eldest daughter was at home. However, she was in the upper flat of the house, attending to her child. She only became aware of the deadly incident after she heard her mother crying. By that time, Headley-James had already been stabbed.
The police, in a press statement had said that enquiries revealed that the couple had an argument on Sunday and James assaulted his wife and fled the scene. He returned on Wednesday and an argument ensued and Headley-James was stabbed, the police added.
According to the police, the couple’s eldest daughter told detectives that Headley-James was in the process of putting her husband’s clothes in the yard for him to remove from the house.
“He (James) told her (his wife) not to do the same and threatened to kill her,” the daughter reportedly told police.
However, Headley-James continued and this reportedly caused James to become angry. As a result, he went into the kitchen, armed himself with a knife and stabbed her to the neck.
The injured woman fled to the backyard. Her daughter was alerted by her cries and rushed to her aid. She was placed into a taxi and transported to the Dr CC Nicholson hospital, where she died.
Meanwhile, Hamley Layne, a co-worker of James, said that he knew the couple for a number of years and James’ actions have left him puzzled, particularly since he spoke with him hours before the incident and he didn’t show any signs which indicated that something was bothering him.
“I know these people 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.
Layne added that he and James were scheduled to travel into the interior on Wednesday but they did not go because their driver couldn’t make the trip.
Both Haywood and Layne believe the tragedy could have been prevented.
Haywood said if Headley-James had approached her earlier, she would have been able to assist. “….I say man if she use to come and talk to me I woulda been able to… prevent this from happening,” Haywood said.
