Battered woman claims no hammer was involved…hopes to clear boyfriend’s name

Georgetown: Although still exhibiting signs of a severely battered woman, Eureka Garraway today insisted that reports of a recent attack she suffered at the hands of her boyfriend have been grossly misrepresented in the media. She is pointing fingers at one of her relatives who she claims exaggerated the truth.

Reports published extensively in sections of the media earlier this month revealed that the 38-year-old woman was severely beaten with a hammer by her boyfriend Joseph Taylor.  Reports are that relatives found her in an unconscious state in a relative’s Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara home.  It is alleged that in addition to being beaten with a hammer about her head by the perpetrator he also inflicted wounds with a knife.

Garraway was rushed to the St Joseph Mercy Hospital where she remained a patient for approximately four days during which time she was disoriented and appeared to have been suffering from memory loss, one relative said.

Police subsequently issued a wanted bulletin for Taylor who is said to be a vendor and has had associations with the local and Regional Sports fraternity. In fact in 2009 he was given a special award for his contribution to the off-the field entertainment compliments of the Guyana Cricket Board when it held its annual Awards Ceremony.

According to the bulletin the man is wanted for questioning in relation to the attempted murder of Garraway on April 4, last.  It also notes that anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Taylor should contact the police on telephone numbers: 229-2557, 229-2702, 226-1326, 225-8196, 225-6411, 911 or the nearest police station.

However, Garraway revealed her intent today to testify to the fact that the man is not guilty of doing what was portrayed in the media. “I want to clear him out of this problem…because to be honest is 12 years I living with he and he never put a hand on me.” While admitting that she was attacked by the man on the day in question, Garraway said that it certainly was not with a hammer. She said that she suffered no broken fingers as was reported by one of her relatives.

Recounting her version of the incident, Garraway said that she had upbraided Joseph about drinking too much which may have triggered his reaction to push her causing her to slam into a refrigerator and fall. She further claimed that because of the fact that she has malaria it may have contributed to the fall since according to her “my body lil shaky still.”

She claimed too that unlike the details of the article she never suffered any broken fingers and was never unconscious at any point. She recalled that the man had armed himself with a knife after she threatened to throw some hot rice on him because of his evident drunken state.

Prior to the assault, the woman, who said that she is currently staying with a sister in Sophia, Georgetown, said that she was a cook in the North West District. She is currently incapable of working revealing that “when I feel better I will go back to work.”   

Insisting that no one forced her to clear her boyfriend’s name, Garraway said that it was only a few days ago she became aware of what was published in the media. “Is one of me nieces tell me how a set of things get published in the newspaper and so I decide to come and clear up the situation.”