30-year-old construction worker Clarence Jones is in jail tonight, accused of trying to kill the mother of his children. Jones was today charged for attempted murder. He is accused of trying to kill 23-year-old Gina Bood - who was attacked on Saturday evening. She narrowly escaped death and this afternoon the domestic abuse survivor told Keith Swift her story.
Gina Bood, Attacked With Knife by Husband
"He just told me he will kill me, he will kill me. He said if he can't have me then nobody will have me. He just told me, he just repeated that he will kill me."
And on Saturday Clarence Jones came close to killing 23-year-old Gina Bood, his estranged wife and mother of his two children. It occurred here at the Pallotti Roundabout at about 6:15 on Saturday evening. Gina Bood says she was walking along with Clarence Jones to the bus stop, he was taking the kids to Sandhill for the weekend. He asked her to take him back. She out rightly refused and that's when he pulled out a butcher knife and started stabbing her.
Gina Bood,
"He was talking to me about let me come home back, asking me to take him back because he will change and I told him no. He asked me over and over and I said no I won't take him because he won't change. That time he had my one-year-old son in his hand and he just dropped my son and I went to pick up my son and he attacked me. First I thought he was just hitting me and I saw the knife in his hand. The first stab he gave me was to the side. He took the knife and I guess he was going to slice my throat but I held down my head and he just slice me, the slice went straight across."
He walked away leaving Gina Bood in a pool of blood - droplets of which were still visible today on the walkway near the roundabout. As for Gina, the left side of her face has been stitched, she has scratches all over her body, and the stab wounds barely missed her lungs - which is why she now has to walk around with this tube.
Gina says she had been with Clarence since she was 15 years old and she left
him - 9 months ago - because he allegedly became abusive. But abuse is one thing but she never believed it would have escalated to this.
Gina Bood,
"As far as I concern, in the relationship, the reason why I left is because the abusing but he had never hauled a knife or threaten my life in that kind of way. He has never hauled an object and attempted to use it on me."
Keith Swift,
Do you think that if given the chance on Saturday evening he would have killed you?
Gina Bood,
"I believe that was his intention and I believe he planned it because he had the knife on him."
Clarence Jones has been charged for attempted murder and Gina says she will pursue the charges.
Gina Bood,
"I am pressing charges to the fullest against him. I will not back, I will not change my mind because his intention was to kill me and he did this to me in front of my two boys. I don't know if I can say it taught me anything because as a person who is separated, I always said I like to see a father and a mother get along for the best of their children. I was trying to put my children first but he was just insisting that I go back to him and I told him I don't want to have anything, just the kids. I just wanted me and him to be friends and put the best interest of the kids first but I learnt from this, I guess it can't work like that."
She learnt something and Gina says there is also something other women can learn from her experience.
Gina Bood,
"Don't stay in the relationship and always just expect the unexpected because I never expected Clarence to do this to me and look what happened to me so I would just tell them that at the first sign of abuse, just get out, just walk away from it."
It's a painful lesson that almost cost Gina Bood her life.
In addition to attempted murder, Jones has been charged with aggravated assault, grievous harm, and use of threatening words. Bail was denied and his next court appearance is December 5th.
