A 37-year old Durban man on Thursday pleaded guilty to stabbing his wife 45 times before driving into Durban’s harbour in a bid to cover up the murder.
”I’m very sorry at what transpired,” said Dhanendra Heeralall as he sat in the dock at the Durban High Court. Moments latter he started sobbing and a court orderly had to bring him water.
”I’m very sorry to [sic] my children. I’m very sorry to [sic] my wife’s family,” said the softly spoken father of two.
Heeralall stabbed his wife Pritheshnee at least 45 times and then drove into the harbour near Durban’s sugar terminals on the night of June 28.
When he was rescued by a nearby ship’s crew, he claimed he had been hijacked by two men brandishing knives.
Giving evidence in mitigation of sentencing, Heeralall told the court that his wife was having an affair and that about two weeks before the fateful night he discovered a photograph of her embracing another man.
The court also heard evidence that on the night she was murdered, she received a phone call and was overheard by her husband, saying: ”Anand please stop ringing me. I’m with my husband.”
Anand, whose surname was not revealed in court, was the man with whom she was allegedly having an extramarital affair.
Heeralall told the court that he had not planned the murder.
Advocate Thiagaraj Pillay said Judge Vivienne Niles-Dunér and her assessor should take into account that Heeralall was a first time offender.
”He was in a heightened state of an emotional mind.”
He said Heeralall had ”not wasted the court’s time” and had shown remorse by volunteering for rehabilitation programmes.
State prosecutor Bhabha Khumalo argued that Heeralall had only shown remorse because of the strength of the state’s case.
”He killed his own wife, a person he was supposed to protect. The proper sentence must be invoked,” he said.
Khumalo said domestic violence cases where murder was involved were on the increase and that if a lenient sentence was imposed, the wrong perception would be created.
Niles-Dun̩r said she would hand down sentence on Friday at 10am. РSapa