A man killed his own wife on Christmas Day, allegedly after an argument over a Christmas ham which escalated to a murderous height. What was even more tragic about the incident was that the murder happened in front of the couple’s three sons.
Karel Idolly Gabourel, a.k.a. “Carol”, had just returned home from work at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. She was preparing food for her family when an argument ensued between her and her husband over the cutting of their Christmas ham. The disagreement resulted in the fatal stabbing of the wife, age 32.
The hideous crime unfolded in front of the couple’s three sons—ages 12, 10 and 9—who were at home with them at #141B Neal Pen Road.
When Amandala visited the scene of the murder, blood was still visible between two planks in the yard.
The children have told their aunt, Rosalin Ogaldez, what they saw. According to Rosalin, in whose care the couple’s sons now are, the boys begged their father not to kill their mother, but their pleas did not save her life.
Today at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court, Cecil Gabourel a.k.a. “Wilbat”, 40, a security guard at Save-U, was charged with one count of murder and remanded to the Hattieville Prison until January 29.
Police say that he was drunk when he committed the crime.
Rosalin said that Cecil’s action shocked her because the couple were not known to fight in the past. She does recall that they had their differences, and on more than one occasion he would threaten her sister. She said that it was only when Cecil was “under the influence” that his aggressive side came out. But that was seldom, she added.
The eldest son said that his father wanted to cut the ham, but Carol told him not to, because she had already cooked the chicken. She told him to eat that instead, but he did not want to, and the two began fighting.
His mother went into the room, got the broom and began hitting their father. She then attempted to leave.
Outside, Carol’s male friend – a taxi man and family friend, was waiting for her. Meanwhile, said the son, the father, who was inside the house, tucked a kitchen knife in his pants, and yelled out to his mother that he was going to kill both her and the taxi man when they returned.
Carol had already gone to the car but returned moments later, and the couple began arguing again in the yard.
Cecil grabbed Carol and stabbed her on her hand, but she managed to escape briefly. As she was running away from her husband, he chased her and stabbed her in her neck, which was believed to have been the fatal blow.
Carol ran to the mouth of the alley, where she collapsed in front of the taxi-driver.
Her last words were, “Ah wah dead,” said relatives.
She was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
According to police, around 6:00 p.m. on Monday, December 25, they visited the hospital, where they saw Carol’s lifeless body.
Rosalin told Amandala that Cecil was aware that the taxi man was outside waiting for Carol, because she had plans to go out that day to visit relatives after preparing supper at home.
According to Rosalin, the taxi man regularly transported Carol and the children, taking them to school while school was in session. He was never a threat to the family, she added.
What could have caused Cecil to react the way he did, is beyond Rosalin’s imagination.
The young couple had been together for over 11 years and married for about half that time, she informed.
She said that she tried to convince her sister to end the relationship, but she chose to stay; in the end, it was her choice, said Rosalin.
Apart from her children, Carol leaves behind two sisters and two brothers.
Arrangements for funeral services for Karel Idolly Gabourel have not yet been finalized. A post-mortem was conducted on her body late this evening, but the result is still pending.