Guyana: Man allegedly kills wife, sets home on fire in East Coast Demerara

Guyana: A tragic incident took place around 1:30hrs on September 3, 2025 at Lot 22 Second Street, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD),  where a husband allegedly stabbed his wife to death and later set the house on fire.

The victim is identified as Paula Abraham, a 50-year-old housewife who was stabbed by her husband Ishwar Singh, a 46-year-old unemployed resident. The police also stated that the suspect then set their home on fire, which was partially extinguished by the Guyana Fire Service.

The authorities revealed that the suspect, the victim, and their daughter Preeta Singh who is 24-years-old and their security guard were all living in that house. It is being said that the house was a 2 storey wooden and concrete structure and they lived on the ground floor of the house.

The victim’s daughter, while talking to our reporter, revealed that her father was a regular drinker and had a habit of beating her mother and threatening to kill her. She also stated that at the time of the incident she was sleeping in her room and awakened when she heard screams coming from the bedroom

Further she also revealed that after that she felt a bit of heat in the house and then she immediately got up from her bed, and ran towards the southern door of the house and ran out from the door. After saving herself from the fire she alarmed her neighbours and relatives.

It is being said by the authorities that the daughter of the victim Preeta while running witnessed the ‘sofa and chair’ in the hall was on fire which was spreading all over the hall. The police’s investigation also revealed that the suspect exited the house a moment later through the northern door of the lower flat with the burn marks on his body.

After seeing the fire the people immediately contacted the fire service, to which they swiftly responded, reached the scene and extinguished the fire of the house.

Also the authorities stated that when they entered the house they saw the victim Paula was lying motionless on a sponge mattress in her bedroom, wearing a yellow vest and a black short pants. Despite the fire, the victim’s body and the mattress she was lying on had no burn marks and remained the same, while the upper flat of the house was damaged fully but the lower flat was burnt partially.

Investigators claim that the victim’s body was examined by the doctor Walcott from the GPHC, and he revealed that the victim was stabbed on the left side of her neck with what appeared to be the bloodstains on her clothes and also on the bed. Later the same doctor pronounced her dead at the scene.

The suspect Ishwar Singh, who had sustained burns on his body was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital by his relatives where he took medical treatment under the inspection of the police guard. Around 10:10 hrs. on Wednesday he succumbed to his injuries at the GPHC, and his body is currently lying in the mortuary awaiting a PME.

Police are still continuing with their investigation related to this case and are asking questions from the neighbours and the relatives. The police also urged the women who are facing domestic violence to report them so the officers can help them.

Further the Minister of Human Services and Social Security Vindya Persaud also visited the family of the victim to offer condolences and support during this difficult time. This shocking incident has sent shockwaves in the entire community and scared them as well.

The entire community is also supporting the victim’s grieving daughter and her family, offering them support and praying for them to pass this difficult time.