Widow hit with shovel over ‘dead lef’

A senior citizen is adamant that she will not leave the home that her late husband's uncle left her in despite being physically attacked because of it.

Mary* said that last month she was beaten by one of her husband's nieces, to the point where she had to seek medical attention.

"Mi deh home a sweep up the yard and heap up little a di garbage close to the window ... and light dem. All of a sudden mi hear har a ask why mi sweep tings and leave it at her window and she start shove up a broom in mi face. Mi ask har why she suh angry with mi because mi never do her anything and if she sick in her head," she said.

Mary said she walked away but returned about 20 minutes later to continue cleaning the yard, when she was assaulted by the niece.

"Her boyfriend come hold mi round mi neck and mi couldn't catch nuh breath or nutten. A next youth hold on to me and she take a shovel and lick mi and mi get lick fi couple minutes well. If the neighbour never come intervene, mi wouldn't get away. Is not the first time dem beat mi, enuh, because all when mi husband did alive it happen. Mi go to di police station and den go to the doctor," she said. Mary showed THE WEEKEND STAR a copy of the receipt but said charges are yet to be laid against her attacker.

"Mi just want somebody to tell dem [the niece and other relatives] to leave mi alone because mi not leaving. Mi husband uncle say mi must stay there before him dead and is not their place. Mi nuh want to be in any war with anyone, mi just want to live in peace," she said.

According to Mary, she will only leave the house if she is reimbursed all the monies that she has spent on it for close to six years.

"Is from 2017 mi live there and is $10,000 mi use to get fi mi pay and mi spend all of that in the yard, so if dem can pay mi back that, well fine. I cannot afford rent and where I was living in the country, other people live there now, so there is no space for me. Is domestic work mi do suh mi don't work enough to rent anywhere. Mi husband did meet in accident in 2017 and him uncle did sick so mi come and take care of both of them. The uncle all thank mi before him dead for all that I did for him," she said.

Mary said her husband passed away earlier this year of a health condition, but is not ruling out the possibility that some relatives worked obeah on him.

*name changed to protect identity