One charged in domestic disturbance
Published 6:00 am Monday, November 20, 2006
A woman remains hospitalized and a man is in police custodyfollowing a throat-cutting incident early Saturday morning onCongress Street, according to authorities.
Irene Banks, 52, of 317 E. Congress St., was listed in stablecondition in King’s Daughters Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unitthis morning with heavy lacerations to the neck, said BrookhavenPolice Chief Pap Henderson.
Roy Benjamin, 50, of the same address, is in the Lincoln CountyJail on aggravated assault charges after being released from thehospital Sunday with neck lacerations. He is scheduled forarraignment Tuesday.
Investigators said they still do not know what led to thedomestic dispute between the couple that left both Banks andBenjamin with their throats cut.
“We haven’t had the opportunity to question her yet (because ofher condition),” Henderson said. “We’re hoping to be able to dothat today.”
Investigators will also be questioning Benjamin today, hesaid.
According to the report, officers responded to a domesticdisturbance call at 3:30 a.m. Saturday on Congress Street andofficers were met outside the home by a resident.
“We were met by one of the people living at the house who saidhe couldn’t get in because of the disturbance,” Henderson said.
Officers heard someone inside the house and made numerousattempts to enter by knocking, but could not get a response. Theyentered the home through the back door.
“They saw Benjamin carrying Irene Banks in his arms and noticedshe was bleeding profusely,” Henderson said.
Officers also noted that the throats of both Banks and Benjaminhad been cut and confronted the suspect.
“They had to subdue him. He was very irate,” the chief said.
Benjamin had a knife in his possession while he was beingarrested, but did not use it to defend himself, Henderson said.
“We also found a box cutter type of blade on the floor coveredwith blood,” the chief said.
Banks and Benjamin were transported by ambulance to KDMC andBenjamin was transferred to the jail after his release Sunday,Henderson said.