-pleas of relatives were not heeded

SATURDAY’S fire at Bartica which claimed the life of a woman and her two children, marked yet another tragic end to an abusive relationship, and the repercussion of a woman’s decision to stay with her abuser, despite repeated warnings from relatives.

Relatives of 48-year-old Carolina Kennedy say they would often plead with her to leave the abusive man.
“A lot, a lot, a lot, a lot. Her brothers them warn her, her mother talk more than 100 times,” Carolina’s sister, Dianna Kennedy said.

She added: “Them speak to her and say ‘girl why you going back to this man you don’t know what intention this man got to do you, you don’t know’. But she ain’t want hear, she said due to the children she love he bad. So she want to be with him. So everybody said fine fair enough and you know what’s best for you.”

Carolina’s reputed husband and father of the children, 36-year-old Kenford Downer is believed to be responsible for setting the fire. He is in police custody. According to reports, he has confessed to committing the heinous act.
Downer, had reportedly spent time in jail after being convicted of breaking Carolina’s arm during an abusive episode several years ago. Despite his prison stint for injuring her, Carolina continued her relationship with the suspect and was even supportive of him during his incarceration.

“She was living in Georgetown, and while he was in jail they transferred him from Camp Street to Mazaruni, and she used to come up and bring things and suh to carry to jail for him. While he in prison she used to support him, she always, always there for he,” Dianna bemoaned.

Dianna said her sister at one point had moved on from Downer, and had gotten married to someone else. However, Downer would turn up and torment the woman and her husband, and at some point while Carolina was living in Georgetown, she returned to a life with Downer.

According to Dianna, the suspect and her sister have been together over six years now. They developed a relationship after Downer became a family friend through him spending time in Bartica, where he had travelled to from Berbice in search of employment.

However, the relationship was a tumultuous one, and Downer repeatedly abused Carolina. The abuse continued after his release from prison. His abusive behavior, this newspaper was told was linked to excessive alcohol consumption.

“He would always threaten her. He does drink a lot, and every time he go out and drink he does come in and threaten her life and tell her all kinds of things; what he not gon do she. He mean to do what he tell her,” Dianna related.

Downer, it is believed finally live up to his threats on Saturday night when he allegedly doused the 24 feet by 15 feet Four Miles Squatting Area, Bartica, Potaro Road house with gasoline and then set it on fire, with Carolina and his children – Marianna Downer age five and three-year-old Gabriella Kennedy – trapped inside.

SHOCKING
Dianna shared that it was all the more shocking that Downer killed his children, with whom he shared a close relationship.
“The children them loved their father bad, especially the big daughter (Marianna). He used to always be with his children them, he loved his children them bad, we didn’t expect this. Just the afternoon before this happen he was with his children buying balloons and hug them up and kiss them, but nobody knew what intention he had,” she said.

However, days before the fire, Carolina told her family that Downer was once again threatening to take her life. Carolina was warned to take the threats seriously, and she had planned to make a police report on Monday. Monday, however was too late.

“He had done already threaten she from since the week before this happen. He threatened her about death and she came and complain to my mother, and while complaining my neighbours was there and they said: ‘don’t take it for joke, go and make a report’. And today [Monday] she was supposed to go and make a report about it,” Dianna related.

Dianna last saw her sister and her nieces on Saturday afternoon when they passed her residence on their way home. Carolina’s disposition as she passed left Dianna with such an uneasy feeling that she was unable to eat later that night.

A few hours later, her brother came and relayed that Carolina’s house was on fire and it was suspected that the family was trapped inside.

“When I go and make dinner I couldn’t eat. Then around 8 o’clock my brother pass to go and check she out, because every night he does that. Then he come back and all I hear is: ‘Diane! Go long now, you sister on fire. Tall man just bun up you sister and the two children. Go long now!’,” Dianna recalled
She immediately rushed to the scene located a short distance away from her home.

“When I run and go, the fire blazing. When I reach we start hollering for them, the lil children, for she, for he. And we just watching in the fire and somebody said watch she in the fire and look the children them there. Only left for me to scream, but something just seh don’t scream, hold it back,” Dianna conveyed.

It would later be discovered that Downer did not perish in the fire. The police found him hiding in the bush near the house. He was taken to the Bartica Hospital where he was admitted for minor burns to his feet.