7 News Belize

Domestic Abuse: A Strange Stabbing Story
posted (March 4, 2019)
37 year-old Tanesia Payne, a resident of Flamboyant Street in Belize City, is out on bail of $5,000 after police charged her for stabbing her ex-common-law husband, 52 year-old Richard Ellis.

It's a strange story, and today, the press asked police to fill in the many blanks. Here's Assistant Superintendent Alejandro Cowo:

ASP Alejandro Cowo
"It was Thursday the 28th, before 9am, police visited the hospital where they observed Mr. Richard Ellis, 52 year old Belizean from a Jane Usher [Boulevard] address suffering from apparent stab wound to his body. What police gathered so far is that Richard Ellis had visited a house on Mahogany Street where he was living with a female. As a result, a dispute happened there where he was attacked by several persons and he sustained those injuries. He was transported to the hospital where he was admitted and later released. His injuries were classified as grievous harm. Based on that, police conducted an investigation which led to the detention of the female Tanisha Payne and she was subsequently arrested and charged for the crime of grievous harm."

Reporter
"So 2 men didn't enter and stab him?"

ASP Alejandro Cowo
"There were two other male persons who were inside the building along with Payne and police are still looking for two other persons to be dealt with."

Reporter
"You all know what caused this dispute to why he was attacked?"

ASP Alejandro Cowo
"It was a family dispute amongst the couple."

Payne was arraigned before Magistrate Khadeem Palmer today on the charges of grievous harm, and use of deadly means of harm.

Court details give a more clear picture about the allegation. Richard Ellis reported to police that at around 8:40 a.m., on last Thursday, he went to Payne's house, and he was unscrewing a gas tank when he was attacked and beaten by 2 men, who came out of a room. He said that he was crying out for help, and that's when Payne allegedly approached. According to Ellis, Payne told the men to cover his mouth, and she gave them a piece of cloth to gag him. He also alleges that Payne encouraged the men to stab him, and that she will lock the door.

Ellis said he was struck on his head with an object, then he was stabbed in his face and neck. He managed to escape, however, and he was taken to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where his injuries were classified as grievous harm.

The police reported that when they went to Payne's house they found that the scene was tampered with and there was evidence that some one had attempted to clean up blood and they found a toaster with blood stains on it. The police also reported that they saw Payne with a wound to her chest and they discovered that she allegedly told a neighbor to inflict a stab wound to her because she wants to make a counter report against Ellis.

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