Woman injured by relative in Essequibo attack succumbs

The house where the attack occurred.
The house where the attack occurred.

Patricia Charles, one of the four persons severely injured on Wednesday after a relative went berserk and attacked them, succumbed at a city hospital on Thursday.

Stabroek News was reliably informed that the 56-year-old woman died around 6.30 am on Thursday while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), where she had been admitted.

The police had said that the suspect, Raphael Charles, 23 years old, a saw man of Falmouth Village, Essequibo, took his life after attacking the family around 2.30 am on Wednesday.

Also injured were Keith James, 56, a saw man, Rodwell Charles, 15, and a teenaged girl.

They remained warded at the GPH up to yesterday, when their conditions were listed as stable.

Investigations, the police said, revealed that the family retired to bed, leaving the suspect and Rodwell Charles watching television following the suspect’s birthday celebrations.

During that time, the suspect reportedly armed himself with a knife and sprung an attack on Rodwell, slitting his neck, then proceeded to attack James and Patricia, stabbing them several times about their bodies. Both James and Patricia managed to run out of the house, the police added.

Raphael hanged himself following the attack.

The victims were all rushed to the Bartica Regional Hospital, where they were seen by doctors and admitted to the institution. They were subsequently referred to the GPH for further treatment.