TOBAGO TRAGEDY

Police, called to the scene by residents who heard 51-year-old Romelda’s screams, found her body and immediately went in search of Hilton. Entering the family home not far from where the woman was found, officers found King, 55, on a bed frothing from the mouth. He died a short while later. News of the murder/ suicide tragedy rocked the sister island .

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Tobago) Garfield Moore said that at 7.55 am, a report was made to the Moriah Police Station that a man was seen chopping up a woman in the Congo Hill area. “The police responded and on arrival found the woman’s body. Based on information officers received, they went to the home of the suspect where he was found on a bed. It appears that he ingested a poisonous substance,” ACP Moore said .

He added that not only had Joseph-King made reports against King to the police, but a restraining order was also taken out against him. King was an employee of the Tobago House of Assembly’s Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment as a watchman while his wife worked at the Tobago Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) as a checker .

Moriah villagers expressed shock at the couple’s gruesome end but some said they were not surprised. “Everybody is close knit here, so for something like this to happen is really shocking,” a villager said. But another villager said that the couple regularly accused each other of infidelity .

A recent argument, the villager said, led to Joseph-King leaving the marital home. “It was just on Sunday that ‘Twinkles’ (Joseph-King’s nickname) left the matrimonial home. She was going through real problems with Hilton. We were aware Hilton was looking for her since she left home .

“Only this morning she returned to her job posting at CEPEP in Congo Hill and based upon what the workers said, Hilton came on the jobsite and he bounced her with his car and this started an argument between the,” said the villager who asked not to be identified. Minutes later, King had chopped Joseph-King to death and then took his own life .

The couple had a child together, an 11-year-old boy, who was quickly taken away from the scene. Joseph-King has three adult children from a previous relationship. A close friend of the woman described her as a pleasant, polite and courteous woman .

A neighbour of the victims, told Newsday that she had she spoken to King several times about his temper .

“Hilton was ignorant, he was hard to deal with. I personally spoke with him several times about that temper he had. Is only yesterday he was served with divorce papers. Twinkles could take the abuse no more. She filed for divorce and on Tuesday he got it (the papers). This was definitely premeditated,” the neighbour said .

Electoral representative for the area, Assemblyman Sheldon Cunningham who said that he knew both individuals personally described the incident as unfortunate .

“I can only extend condolences to both sides of the family. I think it is very tragic and it is something that none of us would expect,” Cunningham said. He said counselling would be provided by the THA to the family as well as Joseph-King’s co-workers .