The final words from shop owner to her husband
THE husband of the Chinese woman who was allegedly stabbed to death inside her shop Point Cruz on Tuesday morning made a final pleading call ‘help me’ to her husband and says she was attacked.
That’s according to Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau during his weekly press conference to local reporters yesterday when updating the brutal murder of the Chinese woman.
Mangau said police attended the scene to assist the husband when the husband tried to gain access to the shop but was unable to get inside because the doors were locked.
He told reporters yesterday that the husband attended to the White Angel building when he received a call from the deceased saying she had been attacked.
Mangau said the deceased left her Ranadi residence on Tuesday morning and after dropping off her twin son at Chung Wah School, Chinatown went to her shop at the White Angel Building at Point Cruz.
Mangau explained that the deceased usually access the building through the northern gate of the building before gaining entry into the shop from the back door.
He said when she entered the building she will unlock the front door which is locked from inside and then her shopkeepers will pull up the ‘roll up’ door from outside.
“However, three employees of the deceased who were there that morning waited for a signal from the deceased to open the ‘roll up’ door but there was no call from her until her husband arrived and alerted them he received a call from her that she had been attacked.
“So the husband received the call saying, “help me, help me,” help me, and that’s why the husband rushed down to the shop.
“So the husband attended the White Angel building and tried to open the door but the door was locked from inside,” Mangau added.
Mangau said the husband then sought assistance from the neighboring shop to gain access into his wife’s shop but was unable to so he alerted the police.
“…so the police was called to the scene and the Fire Department, Police Response Team (PRT) and Central Response Unit (CRU) together with the Forensics Criminal Investigation Department attended the scene and forced entry into the shop from the neighboring shop.
“The husband of the deceased walked in and saw deceased lying in a pool of blood inside her shop.”
The police chief said several knife wounds were found on the body of the deceased including one on her back that had a piece of a kitchen knife stuck inside.
A kitchen knife alleged to have been used in the stabbing incident was found beside the deceased, it was revealed.
Mangau said investigators managed to get the hard drive from the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) that will assist police in their investigation.
He said are currently working with expertise to extract footage from the CCTV.
Mangau said at this point in time there is no clear indications of the number of suspects involved as the information that they have is still not clear.
Mangau continues to appeal to communities in Honiara and also nearby shops who may have any information in relation to this matter to please assist police in their investigation.
He also urged the public to refrain from spreading rumours and speculations that create fear within the community.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN BONGIDANI
Newsroom, Honiara
