Detainees in Britisher’s death complain of police harassment

THE detainees in the death of British citizen Sarah Rosemary Dajee who was found suspended at her friend’s home in Pope Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice, on September 10, have complained about police harassment.

Jason Hannif and his wife Suzanne say they had to seek treatment at the New Amsterdam and National Psychiatric Hospitals, respectively.
The couple made their complaint to Deputy Commander Senior Superintendent, E. Cooper at his office at Berbice Divisional Headquarters on Wednesday.
After airing their grievances, Senior Superintendent Cooper extended heartfelt condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased British citizen.

The second-in-command also informed the couple, that on receipt of the report, the matter was treated as a murder until the post-mortem proved otherwise.
Money belonging to the now deceased woman was checked and verified and remains lodged at the Central Police Station.

“However, how the investigation went is another story, but on behalf of the commissioner and team, we apologize for any inconvenience caused. The persons who were involved will be dealt with accordingly. Until that time it was treated as murder until it was highlighted that the woman died from asphyxia,” Cooper said.

Earlier, Suzanna Hannif said following the incident, she along with her husband Jason and daughter Jessica Grumble, who has since returned to the United Kingdom, were escorted to Central Police Station at approximately 10:00hrs on September 11.
There, they were asked to submit statements which were taken by detectives.

The process, they say, lasted until 23:00hrs and when it was finished, they were placed in custody, denied meals from visiting relatives and access to an attorney.
Haniff told Cooper that a named rank at the Criminal Investigation Department told her that ‘criminals don’t need meals.’

“After being booked for murder, we were taken to a vehicle not knowing where we were going. It was dark, the areas were bushy, even the accompanying police ranks remained silent. Nobody told us anything. My daughter whispered the police are going to kill us. However, at that point, a policewoman assured us that we were being taken to Sister’s Police Station lockups. Consequently, my daughter collapsed and had to be rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she was given oxygen.

I suffered a relapse of a nervous breakdown and had to be subsequently taken to the National Psychiatric Hospital. We are British citizens and we were refused access to the British Embassy. Even if I did something wrong, I have human rights. I am living in fear because of the treatment meted out to us. When Rosemary was behaving strangely, we went to the police to help us, but they did not. We made reports, but the police did not help us. We were left with the woman who was behaving strangely and yet we were detained after her death,” the woman complained.

Last Wednesday, three days after Dajee was found suspended at her friend’s home, British Deputy High Commissioner Ron Rimmer traveled to the Ancient County, where he identified the body at the New Amsterdam mortuary.
The deceased, aged 50 was childless and was employed as an Entry Clearance Assistant at the Home Office, Apollo House, Wellesley Road, Croydon, London.

Following her death, police found among the deceased’s belongings US$900, Sterling pounds$900, G$5500 and BDS (Barbados) currencies, her British passport, a quantity of medications, clothing and other personal items.
A post-mortem conducted by Government, Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Brijmohan revealed that the Britisher died as a result of asphyxia due to self-suspension.
Dajee had accompanied her workmate of Guyanese heritage, Jessica Grumble, to the birth land of her ancestors. They had arrived on August 23 and were expected to depart on September 17.

However, on Sunday, September 10, hours after Dajee had returned from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, where she had intended to board a return flight to the United Kingdom, the woman claimed her passport was missing.

Her name was also not listed on the flight manifest. But, hours after she was found suspended in her friend’s home, just before 19: 00hrs.
The discovery of the lifeless body was made by Jessica Grumble in the living room area, where the corpse was seen in a standing position, slightly suspended off the wooden flooring, with an extended phone charger cable wrapped around her neck.

Grumble had seconds before awakened from her sleep after responding to calls from her mother Sue.
The body of Sarah Rosemary Dajee remains at a funeral parlor in Berbice.

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