Accused denies killing actress
MADODANINA Patrick Mkula has denied killing Ashrika Seeripat.
Mkula was testifying last Wednesday during his trial in the High Court sitting in Scottburgh.
On July 7 last year, Ashrika, 42, an actress who was unemployed at the time, was found strangled to death during what was initially believed to be a robbery at her home in Kadville Heights, Umzinto.
Soon after her death, police arrested her mother Devika Rani Seeripat, 72, who ran a crèche from their home.
Bongi Mbili, 54, her domestic helper and Mkula, 42, her gardener, were also arrested. All three were charged with murder.
The trial began earlier this month and is being heard by Judge Jacqui Hendricks. Mbili has turned State witness.
During Seeripat’s testimony earlier in the trial, she claimed Ashrika suffered from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and would often physically, verbally and mentally abuse her.
Seeripat claimed that she called Mkula to her home last year and asked him to kill her daughter.
The court heard that he initially refused but a few days later agreed to do so for R40 000. When Seeripat told him she did not have that amount of money, they settled on R10 000.
She told the court that she paid him R5 000 and gave him a deadline of July 8, 2021, to have Ashrika killed. During cross-examination, Mkula spoke in isiZulu, and an interpreter translated his testimony into English.
He told the court that he worked for Seeripat from 2013. He stopped working for her in 2019 after Ashrika falsely accused him of stealing a phone.
Mkula denied having any knowledge of Ashrika hitting her mother.
He also denied that Seeripat asked him for help getting rid of Ashrika.
He denied having asked for R40 000 to kill Ashrika or having settled for R10 000.
“I have no knowledge of the money, and I have not received money,” he said.
Mkula said he did not receive a R5 000 deposit and that he had no knowledge of a deadline to kill Ashrika.
The matter has been adjourned to July.