‘Freddy would have killed me’
Gordon inquired about life insurance policy for battered wife before his arrest, court told
“MONSTER” husband Frederick Gordon secretly tried to take out insurance on his wife’s life just days before he was arrested, it emerged in court yesterday. The shocking claim was made on the third and final day of his wife, Avril’s, testimony in the Port Elizabeth Regional Court. A severely battered and bruised Avril was rescued from the couple’s Forest Hill flat by police on March 24 last year after they broke down the door.
They described what they found as one of the most horrific cases of domestic abuse they had ever come across in the city.
Testifying yesterday, Avril painted a picture of extreme jealousy and botched murder plans.
She said if police had not rescued her when they did, “Freddy would have killed me”.
Gordon, 42, has pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping, attempted murder and rape.
The court heard how Gordon had consulted with someone from Old Mutual in March last year and was given forms to complete on his wife’s behalf.
Avril said she had not known about his intention to take out the life policy until after his arrest.
Defence lawyer Ramona van Vuuren said Gordon had merely looked into the possibility of taking out a policy, but changed his mind later because it was too expensive.
She said he had taken the policy forms home but never filled them in.
Avril was chained up in the small flat for months and was allegedly beaten, burnt and raped by her husband.
On the night of his arrest, Gordon allegedly smashed Avril’s head against the wall and beat her so badly she thought she was going to die.
She had to undergo reconstructive surgery for her injuries. She is also deaf in one ear and blind in one eye.
Avril, 53, told the court: “I think he would have killed me. If the police hadn’t come when they did, I wouldn’t be sitting here today.”
Van Vuuren put it to Avril that the court case was simply a way for her to make money.
“This is all a money-making business. Mr Gordon says you sold your story to newspapers and magazines, and that you did it to exploit his name.”
But Avril said she had chosen to go public with her story to help other women. She said she had not received a cent for her story.
Van Vuuren said Gordon would testify that Avril was the abusive one in the relationship.
He claims Avril abused alcohol and even attacked him one night after drinking too much.
But Avril said Gordon’s violent behaviour was a direct result of his extreme jealousy. Van Vuuren said Gordon would deny that he was jealous, but still believed Avril was having an affair with a sergeantmajor at the air force base.
Avril denied having an affair. She said it was Gordon’s belief that she had been sleeping around that had led him to sexually abuse her with sharp knives.
She said on a number of occasions after they had sex, Gordon would walk out of the room and return a while later holding a knife behind his back. He would then heat the knife and thrust it into her private parts.
Avril said he would tell her he was doing it to stop her from sleeping around. She sustained severe internal burns as a result of the alleged assault.
“He used to say ‘how can it be sore if you had sex earlier’,” she told the court.
Avril said it was impossible for her to have an affair because she could not leave the flat.
Gordon allegedly locked her up in the bathroom during the day. At night, he would either chain her hands to her feet, or chain their waists together. They would have to sleep like that.
“If I needed the toilet during the night, I had to wake him up to come with me,” she said.
The trial was postponed to February 18, when Avril’s daughter is expected to testify.
Avril said later she was relieved that she had managed to get through her testimony.
“I just hope that my testimony puts him away for a very, very long time,” she said.
Avril returns to Bloemfontein today, where she now lives with her late first husband’s sister.