The 37-year-old man who allegedly killed his wife before driving into Durban’s harbour in a bid to cover up the crime has claimed he is mentally unstable.
Dhanendra Heeralall appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday to face charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice.
He allegedly stabbed his wife 12 times and then drove them both into the harbour near Durban’s landmark sugar terminals last Wednesday night.
When he was fished out of the water with the assistance of a nearby ship’s crew, he claimed that he had been hijacked by two men brandishing knives.
However, police divers failed to recover the body of one of the alleged hijackers. Heeralall was arrested last Thursday at St Augustine’s hospital, where he had been taken to be treated for trauma. Police said he later confessed to killing his wife.
Heeralall’s case was remanded until 10 July and he has been referred a district surgeon to have his mental condition assessed. — Sapa