Caregiver’s shock testimony Court hears of deadly fight over porn
CAUGHT watching porn on his cellphone, a Durban caregiver turned on his patient’s angry wife, slapping and strangling her, then hid her body under a duvet on the back seat of a car.
He then told her husband she had gone on a trip to Johannesburg before leaving the bedridden man with some “cooldrink, biscuits and a pee bottle”.
This was the testimony of Shaun “Rooster” Pillay, who is on trial in the Durban Magistrate’s Court for the December 2016 murder of Veronica Moodley, 45, at her Shallcross home.
Her decomposed body was found 11 days later, on January 10 last year.
Pillay, 36, pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and robbery, telling the court on Monday that he had been high on drugs at the time.
He had been employed as a caregiver for Moodley’s husband, Ricky, 50, who had suffered a stroke in 2015.
Pillay said he still could not believe that Moodley was dead.
He testified that an argument had broken out between him and Moodley after she found him watching pornographic videos on his phone in the lounge.
“She became angry and a fight started between us. We went into the bedroom, where I slapped her. She fell to the ground and I grabbed her with both my hands around her neck and threw her to the floor. She was crying and coughing.”
Pillay said he then pushed her aside and went back into the lounge, where he fell asleep.
He told the court that he woke up at 5pm and continued to take drugs.
“I was feeling hungry and I got up to brush my teeth. I decided to walk into the bedroom. When I opened the door, I saw her lying on the floor. I brought her to the lounge because there was more space and she was not responding.”
Pillay said he was in shock and started panicking.
“She looked dead and she was not breathing. I checked for her pulse and there was no pulse. I was too high. I did not call the ambulance or police because I thought I was going to be arrested.”
Pillay said all he wanted to do was get away from the scene.
“I took her out of the house and put her in the car (an old Ford Cortina). I told Ricky that she was going to Johannesburg for a function. He had cooldrinks, biscuits and a pee bottle next to him.”
He then fled in Moodley’s VW Polo with R26950 from the home, which he spent on drugs and hotel accommodation.
When her sister, Leeanne Maharaj, who lived in Johannesburg, could not get hold of her, she sent a relative and neighbours to find out what had happened. The relative investigated a smell outside the home and found her body.
Pillay told the court that he had wanted to commit suicide.
While he apologised to the family, Maharaj told POST later that this would not bring her sister back.
“Nobody knows the pain we are going through as a family. I cannot handle the fact that my sister was brutally murdered,” she said. “I lost my job at a car dealership because I’ve had a string of breakdowns and have been unable to work since her death. I landed in hospital on some occasions.”
Maharaj said even though it had been more than a year since her sister’s death, it felt like it happened just yesterday.
“I have not slept properly since her death. I wake up in the middle of the night screaming because all I think about is the pain Veronica must have gone through.”
The mother of four said she was afraid she might not get justice for her sister’s death.
“I believe more than one person was involved in this murder and Shaun is shielding someone.”
The matter is proceeding.
I wake up in the night screaming because all I think about is the pain Veronica must have gone through