Persons charged for dousing others with corrosive substance

Jan 30, 2022 Court Stories

By Renay Sambach

Kaieteur News – Over the years, there have been several cases in Guyana involving ‘acid attacks.’ As a result of these attacks, the victims usually suffer life-altering injuries. Some long-term consequences of these attacks include blindness, as well as eye burns, with severe permanent scarring of the face and body, along with far-reaching social, psychological, and economic difficulties.
Recently making headlines are four mothers who were remanded to prison for allegedly dousing their ‘friend’ with a corrosive substance.

The four mothers who were remanded recently to prison.

The women responsible for this cruel act are: Gailann Marks, 21, of 111 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown; Jenifer Validen, 28, of 52 Albouystown, Georgetown; Alana Holder, 28, of North East La Penitence, Georgetown and Latifah Dacost, 26, of 853 Section B Block X 14 Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
They appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, in the company of their lawyers.
They were slapped with an attempt murder charge and they are expected to make their next court appearance on February 25, 2022.
They were not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleges that on Friday January 21, 2022, at Princes Street, Georgetown, they doused Renesha Maxwell, with a corrosive substance causing grievous bodily harm with the intent to murder her.
The defendants’ lawyers made a bail application to the court for them to be released on a reasonable amount of bail with conditions attached.
However, the police prosecutor made objections to bail being granted on the grounds that Maxwell is still hospitalised as a result of the attack. In fact, the prosecutor argued that the defendants were determined to cause harm to Maxwell since they attempted to douse her with the substance earlier that day on Leopold Street but someone had warned her and she tried to escape by jumping into a taxi, which drove away.
In July 2020, ex-cop Cassandra Boucher, 31, of School Street, Albouystown, was found guilty of dousing her lover with a corrosive substance and was sentenced to one year imprisonment for the offence.
On her first court appearance, Boucher had denied the charge, which stated that on November 7, 2018 at Camp and North Road, Georgetown, she unlawfully and maliciously wounded Anthony Paul with intent to maim, disfigure or cause him grievous bodily harm.
The ex-cop’s lawyer had told the court that his client had made several reports of abuse against her lover and the matters were never dealt with. The court had learnt that what Boucher did was an act of self-defence – a medical certificate was presented to the court in favour of Boucher to show that she also received injuries during the altercation with her ex-lover.
Boucher and Paul shared a relationship, which subsequently ended after the latter found out that she was pregnant for someone else.
On the day in question, around 10:20hrs, Boucher called Paul and requested to be taken to the hospital since she was not feeling well. Paul then went to the defendant’s home and she went into the backseat of his vehicle – he then proceeded to take her to the hospital.
However, while in the vicinity of Camp and North Road, Georgetown, Boucher went into her purse and took out a small glass bottle and threw a liquid on Paul’s left side face and body. Paul had immediately driven to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was examined by a doctor and admitted for his injuries.
In another matter, Alfred De Jonge, called “Nat A Bai”, 36, of Linden, who doused the mother of his children with a corrosive substance back in 2017 – was committed to stand trial in May 2019, for attempted murder.
De Jonge was committed to stand trial before a judge and jury by Magistrate Peter Hugh in the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court. He is accused of causing grievous bodily harm to Shondell Williamson, with intent to commit murder her. On Thursday, January 19, 2017 at New Street, New Amsterdam, he doused her with a corrosive substance.
The woman, a mother of two was living, at the time of the incident, in the lower flat of 16 New Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice. The two once shared a rocky relationship during their more than eight years together. They lived for a while in New Amsterdam before relocating to Linden. However, due to the constant abuse, the woman left and returned to Berbice.
On the day in question, De Jonge was reportedly stalking the woman. He was dressed like a woman with a wig and dress. He was seen sitting on a culvert at the corner of Republic Road and New Street. He reportedly visited the home twice, but the woman was not at home.
He reportedly secreted himself in the yard and around 20:30 hours as Williamson entered her yard, she was accosted by the man whom she soon realised was her children’s father. As she resisted him, he bathed her with the acid.
He reportedly shouted, “If I can’t get you, no man will”. He then broke the bottle and ran out of the yard into a waiting car, which sped away.
The woman who was severely burnt on her face, chest and other parts of her body was picked up and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital before being transferred to the GPHC. The man, after he fled the area, was apprehended in Linden. He was riding a motorcycle and in his bid to escape, he crashed into a vehicle.
He was previously wanted for being in possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. Shondell Williamson was left blinded and the acid disfigured her face and upper body – but after years of undergoing surgery, she was finally able to see again. Through the kind compliments of the Saving Hands Emergency Aid, Inc. (SHEA) Foundation, Shondell travelled to the United States of America for treatment. She has so far undergone two years of intense medical treatment, including vision correction and reconstructive surgeries. A bone from her rib was used to graft her nose.