By Jade Witten
An investigating officer has told the Goodwood Magistrate's Court how an Athlone man walked into his wife's place of work and slit her throat before attempting to set her alight.
It is alleged that Abdul Rudolph slit the throat of his wife, Firdous Fortune-Rudolph, and doused her with petrol in the kitchen of Morkels furniture store at N1 City Mall, where she worked.
Inspector Anton Abraham, testifying in Rudolph's bail application yesterday, relayed the events that unfolded at around 2pm on April 29.
He said Rudolph, 30, entered the store to speak to his 25-year-old wife. The couple then went to the kitchen where he asked her "if she didn't love or want him anymore".
Continues Below ↓
Minutes later, Abrahams told the court, a knife was produced and he slit her throat.
He then poured petrol from a five-litre bottle over his wife, before attempting to set her alight with his lighter.
But, as this took place, two of Fortune-Rudolph's colleagues stormed into the kitchen and shoved him aside.
They rescued her and rushed her to hospital.
Abrahams testified that Rudolph then knelt on the kitchen floor and slit his own throat. Later he drove off.
Mall security guards gave chase and found him unconscious at the wheel of his car. He was admitted to hospital.
Both Rudolph and his wife were reportedly in a critical condition, taking at least three weeks to recover. Fortune-Rudolph sustained injuries to her face, neck and hands.
The accused, who yesterday sat in court wrapped in a blanket in a wheelchair, with a nurse at his side, has since the alleged incident suffered two heart attacks and one stroke, a doctor's report confirmed.
The court also heard Rudolph had a separate case of attempted murder and rape of a former wife pending in the Wynberg Regional Court.
He had allegedly choked and then raped the woman in 2005 and was later released on R2 000 bail.
Abrahams also testified to an interim protection order Fortune-Rudolph had secured against the accused in the month before the attempted murder.
Abrahams said Rudolph should not be granted bail as he had violated the conditions of the order which prohibited him from physically, emotionally and verbally abusing his wife, harassing her or entering her place of work.
Abrahams also referred in court to a petition, signed by close to 10 000 community members, which opposed bail. He said his safety could not be guaranteed if he was released.
The bail hearing continues.
- This article was originally published on page 6 of Cape Argus on July 03, 2009
|
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Digg
Delicious
Newsvine
Facebook
muti
Twitter
