Son who ‘stabbed’ mother 26 times: 'manipulative and deceitful’

A SPECIALIST psychiatrist told the Durban Regional Court that Uveer Jaganath, accused of stabbing his mother 26 times, showed “inconsistent” behaviour and “manipulative” tendencies during assessment.

The 24-year-old is accused of stabbing and killing his mother, Jessica Jaganath, 43, at their Clare Estate home on May 6 in 2021. 

He claimed he has no memory of the incident due to drug use, but the psychiatrist testified there was nothing to suggest he was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions.

On Monday, Dr Mahomed Shaquir Salduker, a psychiatrist who gave evidence for the defence, said he had conducted a clinical assessment on Jaganath. 

He said he had done two Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) scans on Jaganath. The scan, he said, is a tool used to show the functioning of the brain. 

Salduker said the first scan showed Jaganath had shown some damage to the frontal lobe, synonymous with the use of drugs. 

However, a second SPECT scan showed significant improvement, he said.

The State, represented by senior advocate Krishen Shah, whose application to reopen its case was granted, called Dr Ahlem Houidi, a specialist psychiatrist at Fort Napier Hospital to give evidence. 

She said she conducted four interviews with Jaganath between January and February 2022. 

Houidi said during the interview she did an assessment on Jaganath and there was nothing to suggest that at the time of the incident he had any mental illness to make him unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions. 

She told the court that Jaganath initially said he could not remember anything from the time he had an argument with his mother to the time he woke up in an ambulance. 

“There was a lot of inconsistency regarding the circumstances of the incident. He said he had no recollection of anything that happened in between. He then denied the crime. So he changed his version about the incident. I found him to be inconsistent, manipulative and deceitful. I tried to ask the reason for him not being able to remember but he could not give a reason why he had no recollection of the event. 

“The accused claims to have amnesia, which means he wouldn't be able to remember details. During further interviews, he was able to comment on details but in a conflicting way. Initially I asked if he knew if the knife was found. He said yes. I asked if his fingerprints were on the knife. He said he did not know. 

“But he volunteered and said it must be the same knife he must have used to stab himself. So how does he remember that if he had amnesia? On further enquiry he denied that he stabbed himself and that it must be the victim that did it,” she said. 

When asked by Shah about the SPECT scans results, Houidi said the brain damage was probably due to the substance abuse. 

“He started abusing substances at a very young age, since he was an adolescent. So he had a chronic substance abuse which can explain the SPECT scan findings. 

“So, if we assume he already had the brain damage, long before the incident, there was no mention of cognitive impairment recorded by the doctors or psychologists he was seeing. It means he didn't present with cognitive impairment despite the fact that he had brain damage,” she said. 

Houidi said there was also nothing to suggest that he committed the crime because of the influence of drugs. 

“With regard to the use of substance he did admit that he used cocaine and cannabis on the day while on campus with his friend. I did ask if he used the same amount and substance he usually uses. He said he used the same amount and type of substance. 

“He said there was no previous incident or problem using the drugs. He also never presented with behavioural problems or anger issues when using the drugs,” she said.  

At the start of the trial in June last year, Shah said the State intended on proving Jaganath had unlawfully and intentionally killed his mother.

 Jaganath pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. 

In his plea, he said he had been in the company of his mother and girlfriend on May 6. 

Jaganath said they went to the mall to purchase a dress for his girlfriend for his birthday party which they were going to celebrate the following day (May 7). 

He said after they dropped his girlfriend off at her home, he and his mother went to their home. 

He said his father later picked him up and drove him to the Varsity College - Westville Campus.  Jaganath said he and his friend had planned not to attend lectures, but had arranged to use drugs instead. He said before his friend he contacted his “dealer” who brought a bag of cocaine to the campus. 

Jaganath said when his friend arrived they went in his car to purchase “dagga” (cannabis). 

“After we purchased two packets of dagga, we drove to Westville where we smoked the dagga. On the way I snorted the cocaine. I also smoked cigarettes laced with cocaine. I used up all of the cocaine and we smoked all of the dagga.”

Jaganath said his father later fetched him and they went home. 

“When I got home I recall my mother saying my eyes were yellow and that I was not myself. I had a shower and my mother confronted me about the cigarettes that she found in my bag. She was very upset and a heated argument ensued with a lot of shouting. I contacted my father who said he will deal with it when he gets home.

“I next recall waking up in the ambulance. I was told that I had killed my mother. I have no recollection of doing so or of how I received the injuries to my leg and abdomen.”

Jaganath said he had a good relationship with his mother and “loved her very much”.

The trial continues. 

Jaganath is currently out on R20 000 bail. 

THE POST