Man denies gruesome rape of lover

Pietermaritzburg - Gruesome details of how a 61-year-old woman met her grisly end were revealed in court on Monday as the man alleged to be responsible for her rape and murder applied for bail.

The man, who cannot be named until he has pleaded to the charge of rape, told the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court that while he intended pleading guilty to the murder, he would deny the rape, claiming his girlfriend – Premawathie Ramdhin – consented to sex.

Ramdhin was found lying in a pool of blood in her bed at her home in Raisethorpe on May 28. She had been sexually assaulted with a bottle.

In an affidavit opposing bail, Warrant Officer Sizwe Makhathini said the autopsy report indicated that Ramdhin had suffered “unbelievably severe injuries”.

Makhatini said according to witnesses, the man and Ramdhin had been drinking alcohol in a group.

The couple then disappeared into the house and after a long while, the man emerged alone and continued drinking with his friends.

The friends allegedly noticed that the man had blood on his shirt.

When questioned about it, he allegedly told them he had sex with Ramdhin and she was bleeding. He then allegedly burnt the shirt under a tree and continued drinking.

The accused allegedly returned to the crime scene the day Ramdhin’s body was discovered, asking what had happened to her.

He was only arrested two weeks later.

The 52-year-old man submitted to the court that he and Ramdhin were in a love relationship, despite him being engaged to another woman, with whom he lived. He and his fiancée have been together for some 20 years.

He works for a construction company as a foreman and can afford R10 000 bail.

The magistrate was expected to deliver her bail ruling on July 21.