Relationship Tragedy: Man Fatally Stabbed in Blackman Eddy Domestic Dispute

After being together for five years, the relationship between Tisha Ireland and Paul Arthurs ended in tragedy as the boyfriend was killed on Saturday night in western Belize. Love News understands that Arthurs travelled to Blackman Eddy Village to visit Ireland but things turned volatile. An argument reportedly broke out that saw Ireland screaming for help and Arthurs threatening to take her to the river to kill her.  One of Ireland’s brothers came to the rescue after which a fight broke out between the two men.  As a result, Arthurs was fatally stabbed in the abdomen. His niece, Fiona Brown, spoke to our newsroom about the incident and the apparently rocky relationship.

Fiona Brown, Niece of Deceased: “Both of them have a very distinct personality. They’re very closed off, they keep to themselves. They don’t tell anybody their business, to put it in a different term. But they were together, they had their little ups and downs, because to our understanding, the female has a tendency of wanting to do her own thing sometimes. And he is someone he cares about her. He wants to be in a relationship with her but there’s sometimes she would push him away and then they would have their little differences and he would walk away you’ll see he would stay home you know most of that time just go to work return then when she wants to you know get back with him then he would go to BlackMan and look for her and stuff like that.” 

Was this relationship abusive ? 

Fiona Brown, Niece of Deceased: “To our understanding, no. When she is here the family would welcome her to the home. She can do everything, cook, wash, stay with him. Nobody gets into their relationship, nothing abusive. From our understanding, no reports of any abuse happening, well him being abusive to her. The family would not condone something like that. If we knew something like that he has older sisters and brothers who would have scolded him to an extent because we wouldn’t accept any kind of abuse like that, you know ? From her understanding also, because we’ve heard from other people that she indeed sometimes would step out of the relationship on him and I know that has caused or triggered some disputes, like, you know an argument or something to that extent. There was one time that I can account he came home and he told us he fell off a bike, a bicycle, a small bicycle and we wouldn’t have believed that you could drop off a small bicycle and hurt your arm. And a few days later he told his nephew that Tesha hit him on his hand with a bat. And his sisters paid for medical attention for him, private medical attention and that was how he got the shoulder to go back in place and stuff like that. Still, because he’s a man, and I think the only regret we have as a family is not stepping in and be like, you know, Paul, sometimes female goes through situation and you say, okay well maybe she can’t do better, or maybe she can’t come out in a relationship like that, but sometimes men need the same guidance as well and I think that’s our only regret as a family not stepping in and be like Paul if that can’t work, leave she alone. We just left him to do his own thing, you know ?”

Contrary to claims by the deceased’s family, Ireland denied being in a relationship with Arthurs. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police, Hilberto Romero, Arthurs attempted to rape the woman, which led to a brawl between him and several other persons.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Officer Commanding Eastern Division: “Okay on Saturday, June 29th, 2024, police visited Blackman Eddy Village where a complainant reported that she went to use a bathroom that is situated outside of her house. She then reported that her ex-boyfriend, Paul Arthurs, dragged her into some bushes and attempted to rape her. Her brother, who was at the area at the time intervened in her defense and at which point, Paul Arthurs produced a knife. A fight ensued and then Paul Arthurs received injuries. Other villagers came and assisted as well. Paul Arthurs was taken to the hospital with stab wound injuries and thereafter succumbed to his injuries. An investigation has been carried out. This file will be sent to the DPP for directives.”

Information to Love News is that a broken glass bottle has been retrieved, believed to be the murder weapon.