Man flees after attempting to kill ex-wife
What’s left of the house in which Omawattie lived
What’s left of the house in which Omawattie lived

–then doubles back, burns house down

THE Police in ‘B’ Division are hunting a man who allegedly set fire to his ex-wife’s house, after attempting to kill her and injuring their teenage daughter.

Omawattie Alvin, called “Ann”, of Ankerville, Port Mourant, is now living in fear of her ex-husband, Lionel Thomas, 62, who not only tried to stab her, but slit her throat as well.
The incident reportedly occurred at Omawattie’s Ankerville home around 19:00hrs on Wednesday, after she refused to give in to his pleas to take him back.

Omawattie Alvin shows the injuries she sustained at the hands of her ex-husband

Omawattie, a fish vendor, said the two had been separated three years now, because Thomas was in the habit of smoking illegal drugs and abusing her physically, mentally and verbally.

The woman said that while they were together, she had cause to make several reports at the police station, so much so that at one point she was forced to ask the the court to put him on a bond, just so he would keep his distance from her.
But unfortunately, putting him on a bond did not help, as he broke it as many as three times, the last being on Saturday when he threatened her with a cutlass while she was selling at the Rose Hall Market.

The distraught woman said she reported the matter to the police, and Thomas was arrested two days later and held in custody.
But after the mandatory 72 hours had passed, the police had no choice but to release him on Wednesday, pending his appearance in court the following day.

According to Omawattie, no sooner was he released than he was at her door, pleading with her to take him back. And after realising that his pleas were falling on deaf ears, Thomas resorted to ‘Plan B’, which was to pick up a bottle, break it and try to slit her throat. He also whipped out a knife and made several attempts to stab her.
The woman said that had it not been for her 17-year-old daughter, who used her body as a shield, he would have hurt her far worse than he did.

An old photo of Omawattie and her ex-husband, Lionel Thomas

When this publication paid the woman a visit, there were visible marks of violence on her throat, chin and abdomen.
And neither was their daughter spared her father’s wrath, as he beat her in the head with the broken bottle and stabbed her on the hand.

Said Omawattie, “I fight him off as best I could and run out the yard screaming for help. But he run after me, firing the knife to hurt me; but when people start come out, he run in the bush and hide.”
The woman was taken by kind-hearted neighbours to the Whim Police Station where a report was made.

But Thomas was not yet done, because as soon as he thought that the coast was clear, he doubled back and set the house on fire.
Omawattie said she was at the hospital seeking medical attention when she learnt the dreadful news.
She is now alleging that had the police acted promptly, they would have been able to arrest her assailant.

“If they went the same time, I am sure they would have catch he,” Omawattie said, adding:
“Now I can’t sleep or do anything, ‘cause all I am thinking is, ‘This man will find me once he is out’.”

She’s also worried about where she’s going to live now, as although she had been living there several years, the house is not hers.

She was unable to save anything in the inferno and is contemplating her next move.
She is seeking the public’s assistance in finding a place to stay, and asking anyone desirous of assisting her to contact her on telephone number 671-8252.

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