Susan was depressed, suicide risk, court told

SUSAN Rohde, slain wife of property mogul Jason Rohde, displayed symptoms of major depressive disorder and suicide ideation, the Western Cape High Court has heard.

Carol Nader, the marriage counsellor who had been assisting the couple for 13 sessions, said she had recommended that Susan be admitted to a clinic for treatment.

She said she had asked Susan whether she was suicidal. “Her reply was ‘No. I would never do that to my children’.

“I never asked her again. I felt that she was insulted by me asking her that question,” said Nader.

Nader said she made a mental checklist of the symptoms Susan had displayed. Some of the symptoms matched those of major depressive disorder.

When the couple first sought counselling, they had made goals of reconciling after Jason had an affair and of improving communication and conflict resolution.

However, in the last session, on July 20, 2016 – four days before her death – Jason arrived at the session angry, said Nader. “He said he didn’t want to attend counselling that day, and Susan insisted. He said he didn’t want Susan to attend the conference (at Spier Estate).

“Susan said she wanted the whole firm to see them together. I advised against it. I felt it would make her more anxious.”

Jason stormed out of counselling four days before Susan died on July 24 last year.

Defence lawyer Pete Mihalik questioned Nader about an allegation she made in her evidence-in-chief. Nader had said the defence’s expert witness, Dr Larissa Panieri-Peter, had said in her report that Susan was suicidal.

“I crossed it out. I said she could be a suicide risk,” said Nader.