A 26-year-old North Cummingsburg woman is awaiting sentencing after admitting to unlawfully killing her partner, who died weeks after suffering extensive burn injuries during a domestic dispute.
Melissa David of Lot 99-100 New Market Street, Georgetown, appeared before Justice Joy Persaud-Singh in the Demerara High Court, where she pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter.
The charge had originally been laid as murder, but was later reduced after the agreed facts were presented to the court.
Sentencing has been postponed until May 13, 2026.
The prosecution is being led by State Counsel Padma Dubraj, Nelissa Peterkin and Aliya Haywood, while David is being represented by attorney-at-law Ronald Bostwick.
The matter stems from the death of 31-year-old Edmond Moses, with whom David was in a relationship.
The court heard that the couple lived in the same two-storey apartment building at New Market Street, although they occupied separate rooms.
According to the facts, tensions between the two escalated throughout May 22, 2024, as arguments over personal and household matters intensified before erupting into violence later that evening.
At around 6:05 p.m., Moses was allegedly doused with a flammable substance and set alight inside the building.
The fire reportedly spread to the landing area, causing alarm among other occupants in the building.
Residents who became aware of the blaze rushed to the scene and used buckets of water to put out the flames before they could spread further.
Moses was seen emerging from the apartment with severe burns to his upper body, arms and legs. He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital in critical condition, but later succumbed to his injuries.
A post-mortem examination conducted on July 15, 2024, by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh concluded that Moses died from pneumonia resulting from septic burns.
Medical findings indicated that between 50 and 55 per cent of his body had been burnt.
Investigators who visited the scene the following day documented fire damage and collected several items, including clothing and a mop that was believed to contain traces of a flammable liquid.
David, who was arrested on the day of the incident, later gave a caution statement in which she admitted involvement. In that statement, she claimed the incident occurred during a heated argument in which she alleged that she had been assaulted and prevented from leaving.
She remains on remand pending sentencing.
