Durban — Gripping details of the murder of Chatsworth pensioner Jinsee Ram, 73, were revealed in the Durban High Court on Thursday.
Her killers took R40 000 cash and other items. State witness Mthethunzima “Stars” Mpepho told the court how he, his co-accused Bheki Msomi and Simphiwe Cele, and another person arrived at Ram’s home around midnight in February 2020.
Mpepho described how Ram’s daughter, Sangetha Prithipaul, had her head banged on the floor by Msomi, while Cele tussled with Ram.
Msomi faces trial alone as Cele had been deemed unfit for trial and was at a state psychiatric hospital.
During cross-examination, senior State advocate Khatija Essack asked Mpepho whether Cele knew what happened to the elderly woman who was in the house.
He responded that he saw Cele on top of her.
“He had his hands on her neck, I did not know what he was actually doing to her.”
Mpepho’s evidence is that he had been approached by a person called Luvo about money that was “where the Indians are, that should be taken”.
He said Msomi came to him and Luvo with more details. Mpepho said he had not known Msomi before this.
“Bheki came and said there was this boy who worked for these Indians where the money was and so we opted to wait for Simphiwe because he was the one who worked there. That day Simphiwe never came, but we continued planning. He (Cele) came on Thursday and we continued deliberating, then it was decided I must be taken to the place to be shown it as I did not know it.”
Mpepho said it had been decided that Sunday would be the day they went and “did the work”. However, when they arrived, they noticed people were still awake and the four went to a park where they “killed time” till midnight.
“It was quiet when we got there, Bheki decided Simphiwe must go in first to check because he worked there. After Bheki went in, Luvo followed, then I was the last in. We decided to wait in the garage and while there we continued planning that we would hold captive first the man of the house when he opened the garage roller door.
“Then around 4am, Bheki changed the plan, saying if we hold the man of the house captive this might give us away, so the plan was to let him leave, as Simphiwe had told us that every morning the man drove off in the car to fetch workers, leaving the garage door open.”
Mpepho told the court the four pretended to be workers in the garage after the man left, and Simphiwe was instructed to go upstairs inside the house first. Msomi followed.
“We heard noises coming from the house, then Luvo went up, following which I went up … I saw Bheki banging the girl’s head on the floor. Simphiwe had pushed the elderly lady down and the girl was bleeding from her mouth.”
He said that after he had told an injured Prithipaul they were there for the money, the woman had taken him to what seemed like a wardrobe in the next room and showed him the money.
After this, Mpepho said he had realised Msomi and Luvo were no longer in the house and he informed Cele of this before also fleeing.
“As I walked out, Simphiwe was not following me but soon after I saw him also leaving the house.”
Msomi has pleaded not guilty to all three charges levelled against him – murder, attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
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