A LINDEN man is now nursing second degree burns after he was reportedly doused with gasoline and set on fire by his reputed wife, Alice Vyphuis, on Sunday.

Forty-three-year-old Deon Marks, a vendor of Lot 206 Fourth Street Silvertown, Linden, has been transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), to seek further medical attention. He suffered burns to 45 per cent of his body. This newspaper understands that at around 11:00h on Sunday, at Lot 31 Nothinghamshore Mines, the 52-year-old Vyphuis called “Valdo” was relaxing at home when Marks visited her and an argument ensued, after he accused her of stealing his money.

Marks reportedly then armed himself with a spade and broke the locks to Vyphuis’ door and entered the woman’s house. She had a gallon of gasoline which she allegedly used to douse him, before throwing a cigarette which she was smoking at the time, on him. With his body on fire, Marks is said to have rushed to the front gate and tried to put out the fire in a nearby gutter. He then sought the assistance of a taxi driver who took him to the Linden Hospital Complex where he was admitted and later transferred.

Vyphuis subsequently turned herself in at the Mackenzie Police Station and was arrested and is assisting with the investigations. According to the police, investigations so far have revealed that Marks is in the habit of threatening and hitting Vyphuis, but that she never reported the incidents during their two-year-old relationship. This is the second domestic burning case that Linden has seen within weeks.