A 29-YEAR-OLD mechanic, furious that he was asked to leave the matrimonial home a week ago, reportedly murdered his 30-year-old wife yesterday and then killed himself.Garfield Hinds apparently surprised his wife Althea, who was found shot in the face in her shop at 80 Balcombe Drive, a tenement settlement in the Waterhouse area of St. Andrew.
His body with a single shot to the head, was found outside the shop's doors with a Smith and Wesson revolver with the serial number erased. Four live rounds were in the gun and two others in his pants pockets. Two spent shells were removed from the scene.
Mrs. Hinds had three children from another relationship.
Neighbours and friends remembered yesterday that she was a churchgoer who would have been preparing for church yesterday morning.
"She was quiet; anywhere you see Althea you see the three children behind her," one woman said. "Althea don't talk, she and nobody never cuss yet, people like her don't deserve that."
Mr. Hinds was also described as "quiet too", a man who they only saw around the community but never associated with.
Neighbours said that he wasn't from the area, but hooked up with Althea who lived at Balcombe Drive all her life.
Sergeant Paul Reynolds, metro officer for the Constabulary Communications Network, explained that police were patrolling the area about 11:00 a.m. when they were informed of a murder-suicide.
"They went to the premises and found the body of a man with a gunshot wound to the head, and a woman with a gunshot to the face," he said. "The woman was taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead."
He said that one week ago, Mr. Hinds was asked by his wife to leave the premises. He left, but returned on numerous occasions, the last being yesterday morning.
