Ten-year-old Daleisha Hospedales watched in horror as her grandfather, Harold, was chopped to death. Harold Hospedales, a labourer and father of four, was chopped by a close relative, at his Esperanza Street home in Gran Couva, on Sunday afternoon. Daleisha sat within inches of her grandfather on his bed, as the relative swung wildly with a cutlass. Harold was chopped about the head, hands, neck and disembowelled.
Harold's attacker then turned towards young Daleisha, relatives said yesterday. She barely managed to escape with her life as the cutlass was swung in her direction. Daleisha jumped through a bedroom window and ran to a neighbour's house for safety. In an interview at the Forensic Science Centre, a relative said Daleisha and other family members were possibly in danger. "We are afraid he will come back to the house and kill somebody," the relative said.
Relatives said they feared for their lives as the relative was still at large up to late yesterday evening. Senior police officers yesterday said they would arrange for lawmen to patrol the community and make an arrest. Villagers said Harold's attacker had once "suffered a lash to his head and was possibly on drugs." Homicide officers are continuing investigations.