Woman released in husband’s killing

RELEASED from police custody for the Boxing Night stabbing death of her common-law husband, Freeport mother Josephine Charles yesterday told of being a victim of physical and mental torture. The woman was released Thursday night when the Director of Public Prosecutions ruled out murder. Charles, 41, walked out of the Freeport Police Station a free woman, and an inquest has been ordered into husband Ricky Ramsubhag’s killing. Yesterday, Charles expressed shock and sorrow of having to end years of misery with one fatal stab wound to her 34-year-old husband. Charles sat outside her Clarke Trace, Calcutta Number Two, Freeport home, with tears streaming down her cheeks yesterday. She begged for forgiveness, but consoled her grief with a strong advice to female victims of abuse  — “get out of the house.”

With scars all over her body from years of severe beatings from Ramsubhag, the woman said her husband also unleashed his temper on their two-year-old son Gabriel with violent blows. “Enough is enough,” Charles said yesterday. On Boxing Night, Ramsubhag had rained blows on Charles. When she ran out of the house, Ramsubhag went after the woman. Though plump and much bigger than Ramsubhag, Charles said she suddenly felt a weakness take over her. As she was about to slump to the ground, Charles began to fear that Ramsubhag would have killed her, and grabbed a knife. As she spoke to Newsday yesterday about the incident, Charles wept uncontrollably. And in stark contrast to the anger which had enveloped her when she plunged the knife into his chest, Charles repeatedly confessed her love for Ramsubhag when she spoke to Newsday. Clutching  Gabriel, Charles said, “I really, really loved him. No matter what he used to do, I still loved him. He was was my life.” She had begged Ramsubhag years ago to change his drinking habits, but the more he drank, Charles said, the more he would beat her. Pointing to scars on her head and face, Charles said, “I couldn’t talk to anybody. I couldn’t walk and go anywhere.

He used to embarrass me in public and then beat me.” Ramsubhag showed no mercy for Gabriel. “He would get licks,” Charles said, “if the child walk too hard, or cry too loud.” Ramsubhag was put out of the house several times, she said. For Gabriel’s sake, she added, “I forgive him and take him back.” With Ramsubhag’s money wasted away in alcohol, Charles said she was forced to sell clothes on the street, but her husband “drank” that out as well, according to Charles. Police were forced to intervene on several occasions at their home. But Ramsubhag used to chase them away, Charles said. He never heeded police warnings, she added. Wiping away her tears, Charles had some advice to women facing similar situations. “Get out of those relationships. If it don’t work the first time, it wouldn’t work the next time. Don’t fool yourselves, just leave or you could end up in the same position like me,” she said.