A 42-year-old man who is accused of shooting his ex-wife to her abdomen was on Friday charged with attempted murder and remanded to prison.
Dereck St John of Lot G 31 Canvas City, Wismar Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) appeared before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.
He was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on November 3, 2021, at Block 22 Squatting Area, Wismar, Linden, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Onika Rock, with the intent to commit murder. He was remanded to prison until December 6, 2021, for report.
According to reports, the 36-year-old woman is currently hospitalised nursing a gunshot wound to her abdomen after being shot by St John. A Police report said that the incident occurred around 19:30h on Tuesday at Block 22 Squatting Area, Wismar, Linden.
Enquiries disclosed that the woman operates a grocery shop at the front of her home. At around 17:00h on the day in question, the man passed by in a motor vehicle and made several threats to the woman.
The Police report stated that he told her “I gon kill you and yuh man”. According to the report, Rock did not take the threats seriously and continued doing her business.
However, at about 19:30h, the woman was at the counter within her grocery stall when her ex-partner who was armed with a gun, showed up and fired two shots in her direction. One of the bullets struck her to the right side abdomen causing her to fall to the ground.
The man then made good his escape on foot. The woman managed to place a telephone call to her church members who assisted with taking her to the Linden Hospital Complex.
There, she was seen and examined by a doctor and later admitted as a patient. Acting on information, Police went to Canvas City, Wismar, Linden at around 20:45h on the said day and arrested St John.
