TWENTY-eight-year-old Donessa Joyce-Barker was killed yesterday afternoon at Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara when her husband attacked her with a knife, stabbing her below the armpit following a domestic dispute.The incident reportedly stemmed from an old grievance between the two over their 23-month-old baby girl and a history of abuse which the woman reportedly suffered at the hands of the man.
Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle was the dead woman’s cousin, Dumisa Thomas, who said she last saw Doneesa on Wednesday, and that they had a lengthy conversation at the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling.
At that time, Baker reportedly told Dumisa that her husband, Allan Barker, wanted to kill her. Thomas said her cousin did not go into details regarding the threat, but they went on to speak about other things.
Dumisa said when she asked her cousin about her baby girl, she was told that the child was staying at a woman. However, according to Dumisa other family members are not familiar with that person. The woman who the child is staying at also told them that she did not want the baby’s father visiting the home since he appeared to be making moves to have the child taken away from the home.
Asked why the two were having a rocky relationship following their marriage a year ago, relatives said that the man who was very abusive to his wife and even threw a pot of hot water on her in 2013, causing severe burns to her right side. However, the woman denied the incident had happened and he was not prosecuted.
Family members said today when they got the news that the woman was dead it came as a major shock to them, especially since it was just hours ago that she had expressed fear for her life after claiming that the man had threatened to kill her.
Joyce-Barker lost her father while she was still a child and her mother is residing in the United States. She leaves to mourn her mother, child and other relatives and friends.
Last evening this newspaper was unable to confirm if the suspect in the murder was in police custody. When contacted last evening, a senior police source in the division said that he was unaware if the man was in custody, but he was aware that the division had recorded a murder. The senior police officer requested that contact be made with the Divisional Commander Marlon Chapman. Those efforts were, however, unsuccessful as he appeared to have been engaged.

By Leroy Smith