7 STABBED AT MENTAL HOME

AFTER being denied the chance to leave a home for the mentally ill to go purchase a roti nearby, a patient went on a rampage and stabbed seven people, including a nurse, at the facility.

The home, which does not have a name posted anywhere on the compound, is located at the corner of Dhankoo Hill and La Canoa Road, Santa Cruz. Up to 7 pm, Santa Cruz police could provide no information on the stabbing and advised Sunday Newsday to contact the head office for the division located at Morvant Police Station which, at the time, was closed for the weekend. Neighbours, who called the police and the media, said the stabbing took place around 1 pm.

According to neighbours, the woman was brought to the home four days ago and since then would constantly exclaim that she was kidnapped. One neighbour said they were first told that the house was converted to a home for the elderly. The home has been occupying the spot for the past three months. The neighbours said they heard screaming coming from the house and, when they looked, saw the mentally ill woman stabbing her fellow patients.

“I was on the phone with police and looking and seeing this woman over people stabbing them. First she had a Chinese chopper and someone take it from her then she grab a knife, then a scissors and then another knife and she was just stabbing and chopping people. I see she stab an old man and push him down the stairs. All the time I on the phone with police and ambulance. Ambulance say they not coming without police and police was just taking forever to reach,” a neighbour, who did not want to be identified, said.

The attacker, prior to the incident, was on her cellphone then threw it out onto the road. The nurse who was stabbed advised neighbours not to retrieve it as the woman became irate. After the stabbing, a 62-year-old neighbour jumped the fence and tied the woman’s hand with a pillow case and made her sit and wait for police to arrive. After the attacker was subdued, the manager of the home arrived along with police and emergency health service personnel.

Sunday Newsday was told that of the seven stabbed and chopped, six lived at the home and one, a nurse, who unlocked the gate, ran out and locked it back as she sought refuge by neighbours. One patient who tried to be a peacekeeper was dealt with more severely than others.

Sunday Newsday spoke with the manager of the home who did not want to divulge how many people were injured but said that it was less than seven. Asked about security for the home, which she said was approved by and financially supported by the Ministry of Health, the manger reiterated that it was a home for mentally ill patients and such incidents were likely to occur. She added that no one was injured outside of the home and questioned why neighbours would concern themselves with what happened.

“There are a lot of mentally ill people walking around. Big broad daylight there is gunshots bussing and they (neighbours) have nothing to say. A stray bullet could hit one of the patients but they won’t talk about that,” the manager said.

Asked about the possibility of increasing security following the stabbing, the manager said, “In time we will see.” She added the attacker recently came to the home and is unstable and because of that she could not be outside. She said residents in the area often bring their mentally ill relatives who are unstable to the home.

“What happened here, this could happen in anyone house because it’s mentally ill people. It have people here who are very uncontrollable in their house. It’s all about how you deal with them and make sure they get their medication,” the manager said.

Christian “Bibi” John, who subdued the attacker told Sunday Newsday that his years of working in the St James Infirmary, now the St James Medical Complex, helped him. He said he heard the screams and had to intervene.

“I am limping right now because I jumped the fence. I heard the screaming and then it was getting louder as though more than one was screaming so I went to see what happening. Everyone wanted to beat the lady who did the stabbing but I tell them no because they could get in trouble. I jump the fence and I told her to come and she came and I held her hand and I took her got an old pillow case and tied her hand and I put her to sit down and she stayed there quietly until police arrived,” John said.

He added that he had to intervene because he could not sit and do nothing. After he tied the woman’s hands she reportedly told him, “Thanks for understanding me.” He said he was not sure what she meant by that.

“I am accustomed to them patients, no matter how violent, so I know how to calm them down so I was not afraid. I am proud of what I did because to see them people bleeding away there, it hurt me,” John said.