The matter continues on Thursday at the Johannesburg High Court.
Sandile Mantsoe, who is on trial for the murder of Karabo Mokoena, claimed he told police he thought “no one would believe him” when he allegedly found Mokoena dead in his apartment.
Captain Roger Mahundla read Mantsoe’s police statement, which claims Mokoena was suicidal in her final days.
On May 11 at 5.30am, Mahundla interviewed the accused in the Sandton police station detective room. Mahundla once again read Mantsoe his rights. He then asked Mantsoe to give a statement and Mahundla wrote it in a pro forma, a confession document. Mahundla read the statement aloud before the court.
In the statement, Mantsoe described Mokoena’s aggressive behaviour in their relationship. He also described Mokoena’s multiple suicide attempts.
According to Mantsoe, in the lead up to Mokoena’s death, from April 24-27, they engaged in sexual activity on multiple occasions. At around 4pm on April 27 Mantsoe escorted Mokoena out of his apartment. She called him later that night and said to him that “she needed” him. She came over and they had another sexual encounter.
In the statement, Mantsoe claimed that on April 28 at 9am, he told Mokoena that he no longer wanted to “have sex with her.” Later that day, at around 6pm, Mantsoe returned home and discovered Mokoena dead on the floor of his apartment with “blood coming out of her neck.” He panicked, not knowing what to do. He went to the bathroom to get a towel to wrap it around her neck, he said.
He then went out to buy petrol and a tire, according to the statement. He also scouted out places to dump her body. When he returned home he put Mokoena in a large dustbin and brought her to his car.
At the end of his statement, Mantsoe explained his actions. “I thought nobody would believe me,” he said to Captain Mahundla of Mokoena’s purported suicide.
Mahundla further noted in the statement that Mantsoe was “cooperative and remorseful” while he gave his statement.
The trial will continue at 10am on Friday at the Johannesburg High Court.