Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth – A 48 year old man is dead and his girl friend in police custody following a dispute at a hotel bar in Leeds, just south of Santa Cruz on Friday afternoon, police say.

Police have identified the dead man as Fitz-Allan Sampson of Leeds while the woman in custody is 38 year-old Venice Afflick of a Santa Cruz address.

Police say the two were at the bar having drinks when a quarrel developed and a knife was used to stab Sampson. He died on the spot.

Friends and acquaintances of the couple say they have a long history of domestic violence.

The incident has again triggered calls from the head of the Police Area Three (St Elizabeth, Manchester and Clarendon) Superintendent Derrick Cochrane for couples experiencing relationship problems to seek help, and for neighbours, friends and relatives to intervene where possible.

“Here you have a feuding man and woman who clearly needed help and now it has come to this,” Cochrane said.

- Garfield Myers