Senior Reporter
sascha.wilson@guardian.co.tt
After being frequently confronted by her cousin to repair her car after an accident, a woman stabbed her cousin to death with a geometry compass during an altercation in La Brea on Tuesday night.
Adanna Simon, 28, a security guard, was stabbed multiple times and bitten by her 41-year-old cousin at Queen Street, La Brea, around 9.30 pm.
Simon succumbed to her injuries around 1.25 am at the Point Fortin Hospital.
Relatives told reporters that almost two months ago, the suspect had hit Simon’s car and damaged the bumper in an accident. However, they claimed the suspect told Simon not to report the accident to the police as she would pay for the repairs.
Simon’s mechanic indicated that the repairs would cost $1,000, but the suspect thought it was too costly. Another cousin, who requested anonymity, said Simon became frustrated and “hasty” and kept accosting the suspect for the money. He said the suspect reported to the police that Simon was harassing and threatening her.
The cousin said on Tuesday night, the suspect was on the way to her mother’s home with her nine-year-old son when Simon confronted her about the money. When they began quarrelling, the child walked off.
However, the man said Simon then struck the suspect, who hit Simon and they then began struggling. The suspect had the compass, estimated to be eight inches long, in her possession and stabbed Simon repeatedly on her leg, back, arm and chest. Simon was also bitten on her shoulder.
The relative said they were going to take Simon to the hospital, but were told the ambulance was 15 minutes away. However, it arrived more than an hour later.
In the meantime, Simon was on the ground bleeding, gasping for air and crying out in pain.
He said, “After a while she start calling out to the police, (saying) ‘ah feel like I losing my life.’”
Simon’s younger sister, Safiya Simon, said she was on her bed when a cousin alerted her about the incident. “When I run outside I see my sister on the ground only in blood. All I could think bout, that was the last time I was going to see my sister. In the state that she was in, it was very heartbreaking to know that your own family member could do such a thing like that,” she cried.
She said she watched helplessly as her sister gasped for breath.
Regardless of the situation, she said the relative went too far. Safiya said her sister had no children but she considered her six-year-old nephew (Safiya’s son) a son. She said her sister was not talkative and kept to herself. “But other than that, she is a very nice person. She very loving. She will help you. She will do anything for you. She will go the distance for you. She will give you the best advice she could.”
Safiya advised family members experiencing domestic issues not to resort to violence.
“I could just say one, simple thing, if you having a problem with anything, feel free to talk to somebody about it, where you can get advice, where you can get help. Somebody might help you out of some problem, talk you out of it.”
Advising family members to live in unity and peace, she said some disputes could be prevented if people “talk their mind” and not seek revenge.
The death of Adana Simon at the hands of her cousin occurred days after a Penal man also stabbed his childhood friend to death.
Psychologist Varma Deyalsinghon Wednesday said these incidents are a reflection of a population on edge. “People are getting more on edge. We are seeing more violence in society, and we are witnessing more death, road rage, violence in schools, and it seems that persons are struggling with their level of anger that they have.”
He explained that apart from domestic issues, some people face other stressful situations, including failure of institutions to provide quick service, poverty, cost of living, struggling to put food on the table, unemployment and crime.
“We are really living in an age where we have been seeing an increase in desk rage and road rage,” Deyalsingh said.
He noted that people across the world were becoming more angry.
Saying people have to find a way to express their frustration instead of waiting until it boils over, he said the Mediation Board was formed to help resolve conflict.
He said a justice of the peace, a neighbour, relatives or the police could also intervene in conflicts. He said people need to be educated about walking away from conflicts and that avenues were available where they could seek help.
Noting that anger management courses are also available, he said, “But if it is a one-time situation, we have to recognise that persons may have accumulative stress which could make them act out in this way and cause a disaster for themselves and to the community, if it is ending up in stabbings and murders and which now will further add to our societal distress.”