More than R80 000 stolen in Kharwastan murder and robbery
MORE than R80 000 was taken from the home of Jinsee Ram on the day she was strangled to death during a robbery.
This was going to be the evidence that would be led by Ram’s daughter, Sangetha Prithipaul, who was present on that day.
Previously State witness Mthethunzima “Stars” Mpepho, said to have been one of four assailants who entered the woman’s Kharwastan house with the intent to rob it, had told the Durban High Court R40 000 had been taken.
Bheki Msomi stands accused of murder, attempted murder, and robbery with aggravating circumstances. He had initially been charged with Simphiwe Cele, who was Jinsee’s employee, however Cele was deemed unfit for trial and is currently at a state psychiatric hospital.
Yesterday during Mpepho’s cross-examination by Msomi’s Legal Aid attorney S Radebe it emerged that Prithipaul’s statement that she made to the police soon after the robbery, mentioned that about R80 000 had been in the bedroom drawer where the money was kept.
An undisclosed amount of money that had been in a bag of rice was also taken, and she had also directed Cele to her bedroom where he took a further R4 500 from her bag. Radebe is arguing that there are inconsistencies in Mpepho’s evidence in chief, as well as his initial statement made to the police following his arrest.
He used Prithipaul’s statement to draw attention to these inconsistencies as Mpepho’s evidence in chief was that inside the house he had seen Msomi banging Prithipaul’s head repeatedly against the floor, and when he stopped Mpepho had taken Prithipaul to the bedroom demanding the money.
However, Prithipaul’s statement fingers Mpepho as the man who had assaulted her.
“The State will call the complainant, Sangetha Prithipaul, who survived, and she made a statement,” said Radebe.
“According to her the person who throttled and hit her to the point where she was in and out of consciousness was the same person who threatened her with a knife and took her to the bedroom by force to show him the money. If I accept Prithipaul’s statement, the person who hit her head repeatedly against the floor would be you,” he added.
However, Mpepho denied this, saying that perhaps Prithipaul had still been in shock from the ordeal when she had made that statement to the police.
He also defended himself saying his initial statement was made when his mind was unsettled and he had been beaten by the police.
Radebe, reading from Prithipaul’s statement, said: “The African male who was banging my head against the floor grabbed me by my right arm and put me on my feet.
“Simphiwe used clear sellotape to tape my mouth. The unknown African male pulled my arms to the front and Simphiwe used the sellotape to tape my hands. I noticed my mother lying on the floor with both eyes open and not moving. I kicked my mom to get her to respond, but she did not move.”
Prithipaul’s statement further says that at that point the unknown African man took out a brown okapi knife, opened it, and asked her where the money was.
“I led Simphiwe and the unknown man to my father’s bedroom, and pointed out in the last drawer the cutout circle where the money was kept, there was R80 000 in cash, and both men began grabbing it and putting it in their pockets.”
Earlier in the day Mpepho had described how Cele manhandled Ram.
“He was holding her by her throat and pushing her down as if to strangle her,” he said.
When Radebe asked whether Ram was doing anything to resist her attacker, Mpepho said the elderly woman was trying to fight him off with her hands, adding that he had left at that point to collect the money.
“You didn’t pay attention to what was happening or you simply did not care what was happening to the elderly woman being manhandled by Simphiwe (Cele) – you were just focused on the money?” asked Radebe.
The cross-examination continues today.