Tucville suicide stemmed from constant abuse - lawyer
Kaieteur News
July 15, 2004
The decision by 31-year-old postal worker Andrea Nedd to take her life on Monday night may be the result of living a life marred by problems.
The Tucville mother of two died at the Georgetown Public Hospital on Tuesday after she ingested a noxious substance.
Information now coming to light on the issue suggests that Nedd was a victim of consistent spousal abuse.
The husband admitted that they had problems but as he put it, the problems were similar to those experienced by other couples.
It was just last week that Nedd retained a city lawyer to defend her after her reputed husband, Floyd Dawson, placed her before the court, on an accusation of damaging his cellular phone. She pleaded not guilty and the matter was scheduled to go to trial soon.
Her lawyer related that while the woman was speaking to him she related that she was scared of being imprisoned:
“One of her worse fears was that she would go to jail. She was very terrified of the legal system.”
Investigations reveal that the relationship between Nedd and Dawson began some 14 years ago while Nedd was still a teenager and while they were both in high school.
A few years later they began living together and the union produced two children.
Reports suggest that Nedd endured constant beatings at the hands of her reputed husband but was always prohibited from reporting the matter to the police by another member of the household.
“ Her father-in-law made it clear to her that if she were to ever bring the police on his son, she would have to move out his house,” one source said.
Subsequently, Nedd began accusing Dawson of having an affair with a neighbour. The two women had numerous altercations and the dispute finally reached the court.
Matters came to head last Monday night when after Nedd reportedly got wind that her husband was with the other woman at Timehri.
Acting on the tip, Nedd reportedly went to Timehri and allegedly caught them together.
An altercation followed and Nedd punched the woman.
The woman reported the assault to the East La Penitence Police Station and ranks there sent a message informing Nedd that she was wanted at the station.
It is believed that Nedd thought that she would have been detained and decided to take her own life.
Instead of reporting to the station, the postal worker bundled her children into a taxi and accompanied them to her mother’s home.
Dawson told this newspaper that his reputed wife came home later in the evening and told him that he would have to find someone to look after the children.
He said shortly after, Nedd drew some water from a tap in the yard and then went and secured herself in the couple’s bedroom.
Dawson said that when Nedd finally opened the door, he tried pacifying her; unaware that she had already ingested the poison.
It as only when his wife began to groan and vomit that he realized what had occurred.
He said he immediately contacted the woman’s family before going to the police to report the incident. He said that he appealed to them to summon the ambulance.