Dewani back in court

Friday, June 20, 2014

Pretoria - Extradited British national Shrien Dewani will this morning appear in the Western Cape High Court, in Cape Town, where an update into his mental health is expected.

The court will assess the readiness of the prosecution and defence teams to start the trial. This is the third appearance since he arrived in the country in April.

Dewani, 34, has been remanded in custody at Valkenberg psychiatric hospital since he arrived. Before his extradition, Dewani had been detained in a hospital in Britain for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

He is charged with five counts - kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, murder, conspiracy to commit murder and defeating the ends of justice - relating to the murder of his wife Anni during their honeymoon in Cape Town, in November 2010.

While prosecutors allege Dewani hired Xolile Mngeni to kill his wife, Dewani has denied any involvement.

Mngeni, together with two others, Mziwamadoda Qwabe and Zola Tongo, were convicted of murder between 2010 and 2012. The men were sentenced to life imprisonment, 25 years' imprisonment and 18 years' imprisonment respectively. – SAnews.gov.za