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| Dewani describes carjacking as murder trial begins in South Africa | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A British millionaire extradited to South Africa to face trial for murdering his wife on their honeymoon is bisexual and did not think he would be able to have children due to health problems, a court has heard. | A British millionaire extradited to South Africa to face trial for murdering his wife on their honeymoon is bisexual and did not think he would be able to have children due to health problems, a court has heard. |
| Shrien Dewani, 34, denies plotting to kill his new wife, Anni, on their luxury Cape Town holiday in November 2010, as they took a cab ride through a township, entering a formal not-guilty plea at the start of his trial on Monday. | Shrien Dewani, 34, denies plotting to kill his new wife, Anni, on their luxury Cape Town holiday in November 2010, as they took a cab ride through a township, entering a formal not-guilty plea at the start of his trial on Monday. |
| The care home owner, from Westbury-on-Trym near Bristol, has always denied paying three men to shoot Anni, days after their lavish £200,000 wedding in Mumbai. He was extradited from the UK to face trial. | The care home owner, from Westbury-on-Trym near Bristol, has always denied paying three men to shoot Anni, days after their lavish £200,000 wedding in Mumbai. He was extradited from the UK to face trial. |
| Appearing at Western Cape high court in Cape Town, Dewani denied murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, and defeating the ends of justice. | Appearing at Western Cape high court in Cape Town, Dewani denied murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, and defeating the ends of justice. |
| Wearing a dark suit, Dewani stood and calmly addressed the court and judge Jeanette Traverso, saying: “I plead not guilty to all five counts, my lady.” | Wearing a dark suit, Dewani stood and calmly addressed the court and judge Jeanette Traverso, saying: “I plead not guilty to all five counts, my lady.” |
| He also told the court, through his solicitor, that he was bisexual. | He also told the court, through his solicitor, that he was bisexual. |
| In a witness statement read by his counsel, Francois van Zyl, Dewani said: “My sexual interactions with males were mostly physical experiences or email chats with people I met online or in clubs, including prostitutes.” | In a witness statement read by his counsel, Francois van Zyl, Dewani said: “My sexual interactions with males were mostly physical experiences or email chats with people I met online or in clubs, including prostitutes.” |
| Dewani said he had abnormally low levels of hormones, rendering his chances of having children slim. He said he discussed this with Anni, whom he began dating in summer 2009. | Dewani said he had abnormally low levels of hormones, rendering his chances of having children slim. He said he discussed this with Anni, whom he began dating in summer 2009. |
| The relationship cooled and at one point ended before they rekindled their romance in March 2010. The couple married later that year in Mumbai and honeymooned in Cape Town. | The relationship cooled and at one point ended before they rekindled their romance in March 2010. The couple married later that year in Mumbai and honeymooned in Cape Town. |
| Dewani claims he and his wife were kidnapped at gunpoint as they drove through Gugulethu in Cape Town in a taxi. | Dewani claims he and his wife were kidnapped at gunpoint as they drove through Gugulethu in Cape Town in a taxi. |
| Dewani was released unharmed, but his wife’s body was found in the abandoned car the next day. She had been shot. | Dewani was released unharmed, but his wife’s body was found in the abandoned car the next day. She had been shot. |
| Describing the moment of the carjacking in his witness statement, he said it was “a traumatic experience which resulted in the loss of my wife”. | Describing the moment of the carjacking in his witness statement, he said it was “a traumatic experience which resulted in the loss of my wife”. |
| He said he has suffered “flashbacks, nightmares and anxiety attacks” and it has affected his ability to remember clearly. | He said he has suffered “flashbacks, nightmares and anxiety attacks” and it has affected his ability to remember clearly. |
| Prosecutors argue that Dewani conspired with Cape Town residents Zola Tongo, Mziwamadoda Qwabe and Xolile Mngeni to kill his wife. | Prosecutors argue that Dewani conspired with Cape Town residents Zola Tongo, Mziwamadoda Qwabe and Xolile Mngeni to kill his wife. |
| Van Zyl said his client remembered being in Tongo’s cab when it was attacked as they drove off the motorway and towards a township. | Van Zyl said his client remembered being in Tongo’s cab when it was attacked as they drove off the motorway and towards a township. |
| He said: “The next thing I remember was banging noises coming from the front and right-hand side of the car. There was a lot of shouting in a language I did not understand. | He said: “The next thing I remember was banging noises coming from the front and right-hand side of the car. There was a lot of shouting in a language I did not understand. |
| “The next thing I recall is somebody next to me, who told me to lie down. The person had a gun in his hand. | “The next thing I recall is somebody next to me, who told me to lie down. The person had a gun in his hand. |
| “He was waving the gun in the air.” | “He was waving the gun in the air.” |
| Van Zyl, reading Dewani’s hour-long witness statement, that the gunman told the defendant to “Look down! Lie down!” | Van Zyl, reading Dewani’s hour-long witness statement, that the gunman told the defendant to “Look down! Lie down!” |
| He said: “We were both terrified and immediately complied with his demands. I was lying half on top of Anni. Another person was behind the steering wheel. I do not know where Tongo was at that stage.” | He said: “We were both terrified and immediately complied with his demands. I was lying half on top of Anni. Another person was behind the steering wheel. I do not know where Tongo was at that stage.” |
| Dewani said he pleaded with the attackers to let him and Anni go, but they demanded Dewani’s phone. | Dewani said he pleaded with the attackers to let him and Anni go, but they demanded Dewani’s phone. |
| The defendant said: “He searched me and found my phone in my trousers. He got angry. He placed the gun against my left ear and said words to the effect that I should not lie to him or he would shoot me. | The defendant said: “He searched me and found my phone in my trousers. He got angry. He placed the gun against my left ear and said words to the effect that I should not lie to him or he would shoot me. |
| “I heard a clicking noise from the gun which scared me even more. I have never been close to a real gun before.” | “I heard a clicking noise from the gun which scared me even more. I have never been close to a real gun before.” |
| Taxi driver Tongo, Qwabe and Mngeni are already serving jail terms in connection with the murder. | Taxi driver Tongo, Qwabe and Mngeni are already serving jail terms in connection with the murder. |
| The trial is expected to hear harrowing detail on the circumstances surrounding Mrs Dewani’s death. | The trial is expected to hear harrowing detail on the circumstances surrounding Mrs Dewani’s death. |
| Members of the victim’s family have travelled from Sweden, where she was raised, to attend the hearing, which is expected to last for around two months. | Members of the victim’s family have travelled from Sweden, where she was raised, to attend the hearing, which is expected to last for around two months. |
| Before his extradition, and between months of court hearings, Dewani was detained in a hospital in Britain with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. | Before his extradition, and between months of court hearings, Dewani was detained in a hospital in Britain with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. |
| It is not yet known whether he will be giving evidence in his defence. | It is not yet known whether he will be giving evidence in his defence. |