Man accused of setting wife on fire to be charged with murder

Oct 19, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Ajay Persaud, 24, the man accused of using methylated spirits to set his 20-year-old wife on fire will be recharged today.

Persaud had reportedly set his wife, Analee Gonsalves, a mother of two, on fire some two months ago. She succumbed on Friday to the third degree burns she had sustained. Persaud, however, was only nabbed hiding out in Berbice Region Six on October 9 last, a few days before Gonsalves had died.

Ajay Persaud – To be recharged today for the death of his wife, Analee Gonslaves

Dead, Analee Gonsalves.

Police had moved to hunt him down after, Gonsalves had finally decided to tell police the truth about what had happened to her on August 23 last. Kaieteur News was the first to break the story when the incident had occurred but it was reported that he had allegedly doused her with hot porridge.

Investigations were stalled after Gonsalves refused to give police a statement. One month had passed and Gonsalves probably after realising that she might not recover from her injuries decided to make a recorded statement.

In that statement, she revealed that her husband had bathed her with methylated spirits and then set her alight in an argument over wet boxers and a bird in a cage.

She had stated too that the reason for her not remaining silent was because she wanted to protect the lives of her two babies – a toddler and a 1-month –old child.

Gonsalves alleged that Persaud via a phone call had threatened to kill himself and her two babies if she ever decided to tell police the truth. Her plan, she claimed was to recover fully, rescue her children and then report the matter.

The dead woman had also alleged that her mother-in-law had coerced her into saying that the whole thing was an accident and had concocted a tale that Gonsalves was burnt by an exploding pot of porridge. Gonsalves also alleged that the woman had lied to the doctors claiming to be her mother.

After receiving the statement, police arrested Persaud and he was charged with attempted murder on Thursday last at the Wales Magistrate’s Court and was remanded to prison.

However, one day after he was placed behind bars, Gonsalves died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) from the third degree burns she had sustained at allegedly by his hands on August 23 last.

Speaking with Kaieteur News, Commander of the Region Three District, Mahendra Siwnarine said that the case file was updated and sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Shalimar Hack SC. for legal advice. As it relates to whether-or-not, Gonsalves’ mother-in-law can be charged with attempting to cover-up a crime, the Commander said that he is awaiting the DPP’s advice. “DPP will advice on whether she should be charged or not”, Siwnarine said.

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