Three held for questioning into Britisher’s death
AS the investigation into the suspected suicide of British citizen, Sarah Rosemary Dajee continues, three persons have been detained by local police
They have since submitted statements to the law enforcement officers, at the Central Police Station, in New Amsterdam, Berbice. However, as they remain in custody overnight, sleuths have scheduled the post-mortem for today, at the New Amsterdam mortuary.
Dajee was found dead on Sunday, hours after she had returned from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), where she had hoped to board a return flight to the United Kingdom. Dajee, who had accompanied her workmate, Guyanese-born Jessica Grumble here, arrived on August 23, and was expected to depart on September 17. Instead, her friend found her dead in her living room area. The corpse was reportedly in a standing position, slightly suspended off the wooden flooring, with an extended phone charger cable wrapped around her neck.
Grumble had, seconds before, awakened from her sleep after responding to calls from her mother, Sue.
Her stepfather, Jason Hanniff, said it was around 18:45hrs when he heard Jessica calling him to go over to the house to see something. He said that after switching on the fluorescent lights, he saw Rosemary standing just under the interior arch. He said that initially, he did not think anything was amiss, but it was after he contacted a friend, he was advised to inform the police, which he did at around 18:53hrs.
After the cops arrived, they took possession of the deceased’s belongings, including US$900, £900, G$5500, some Barbados currency, her British passport, a quantity of pharmaceutical medications, clothing and other personal items. Hanniff said he also made contact with the woman’s employer in the United Kingdom, as a result of which a representative from the British High Commission, here, has since contacted him.
Interestingly enough, reports are that just the day before, at around 22:40hrs, Dajee, in the company of Hanniff, had gone to the Central Police Station where she reported that she was feeling insecure and was leaving Guyana the following day.
She is also alleged to have claimed that she was being verbally abused by the music she was hearing. Hanniff said he’d only learnt the day before that the woman had rescheduled her travelling arrangements and had brought forward her flight from September 17 to September 10.
He said that he, too, had at one point gone to the Central Police Station to report that Dajee was behaving strangely, and was claiming to be threatened. He said she’d even sent text messages to her contacts in London, indicating that the police should be contacted in case she does not make it to the airport and home to Britain.
Hanniff said that on Sunday, he, his wife Sue, and stepdaughter, Jessica, all accompanied the now deceased woman to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) where she was expected to board the 04:15 Liat flight. But after being informed by an Immigration Officer that the woman’s name was not on the manifest, and Dajee later claiming that she had forgotten her passport, they all decided to return to New Amsterdam.
Hanniff explained that there are two houses in the yard. He occupies the lower flat of one with his wife, while the other cottage was occupied by his stepdaughter and her friend.
He said that on their return from the airport, he and his wife went to their apartment, while his stepdaughter and her friend went to the cottage. He said that moments later, Dajee told him that whilst having a shower, she saw someone pull the bathroom curtains. He said that after checking the house thoroughly, he assured her that there was no one else there. And in response, she reportedly turned to her friend and asked her whether she thought she was delusional, before turning on her heels and walking away.
Hours later, she was found hanging. Reports are that she was well-dressed. Many curious viewers from the neighbourhood and nearby church thought it was a mannequin that was standing at the archway.
Meanwhile, reports emanating from the Pope Street neighbourhood say the woman had at one time accused the children in the community of interfering with her and had even alleged that someone had hacked into her mobile phone and had removed large sums of money from her mobile money account.
The Guyana Chronicle has since learnt that Sarah Rosemary Dajee was a judge in a recently held karaoke competition organised by her host. The body is currently at the Arokium Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem, while the investigation continues.
