Kimberley - A Roodepan woman was stabbed to death, allegedly by her husband, while holding her infant granddaughter.
Residents of Ravel Avenue, White City, were on Sunday unclear about how an altercation between the husband and wife allegedly took a violent turn, resulting in the death of Tessa Lee, 38, on Saturday.
The local community was left in shock after Lee’s 38-year-old husband allegedly stabbed her repeatedly in the street, in full view of the neighbourhood children who were playing in the vicinity, while she held the young child.
Police spokesman, Captain Sergio Kock, confirmed on Sunday that the Roodepan police are investigating a case of murder, attempted murder and assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.
“It is alleged that on Saturday, at about 3.30pm, an argument between a husband and his wife led to a fatal stabbing at their home in Roodepan,” Kock said.
“A 48-year-old male neighbour apparently noticed the incident from his yard and attempted to intervene. The neighbour was also injured, together with the granddaughter of the deceased, whom she was holding in her arms during the fight.
“The 14-month-old baby was admitted to hospital with two stab wounds while the 38-year-old woman died on the scene. The suspect was arrested by the police.”
Johannes Farland, the neighbour who intervened, said on Sunday that he had been working in his yard, two doors down from the Lee residence, when he heard a commotion in the street.
“I don’t know how the altercation began,” he said. “All I heard was the people in the street screaming... so I went outside and saw a man stabbing a woman repeatedly with a big knife. By the time I reached them, he had already stabbed her several times and she was bleeding profusely.
“As I intervened I was stabbed in the shoulder, but I managed to disarm the man and pin him down until the police arrived about 45 minutes later. He wasn’t struggling.”
The mother of the deceased and great-grandmother of the injured child, Grace Kester, said at the infant’s hospital bedside that little Avery was expected to make a full recovery and was due to be discharged from Mediclinic Gariep on Monday.
“The child’s mother is still very upset after what happened to her mother and child,” Kester said.
“Avery went into theatre to have the stab wound in her chest stitched up but she is expected to recover.”
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