Durban - A Phoenix man who allegedly beat up his ex-girlfriend and left her for dead, appeared in the Phoenix Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Michael Padayachee, 30, of Stanmore, is facing a charge of attempted murder. Tina Mbili, 21, of Verulam, was attacked with clenched fists and kicked repeatedly until she lost consciousness.
It is alleged that on August 24, Padayachee took Mbili, the mother of his 17-month-old daughter, to the Woodview Park in Phoenix, where he severely beat her.
Padayachee was arrested in Verulam on Monday by the SAPS Phoenix cluster task team, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Reuben Govender.
Prosecutor Jayraj Moonelall opposed bail on the grounds that Padayachee was a danger to Mbili.
Padayachee, wearing a faded brown hoodie and blue jeans, told the court that he went to his attorney’s office to hand himself in and was never informed that there was a case opened against him. “I was in fear for my life,” he said.
It is believed that police tracked him down after he faxed a sick note to the court last week, explaining his reasons for not appearing last Friday on an assault charge in a different matter.
Tuesday’s matter was adjourned to September 18 for a formal bail application. Padayachee remains in custody.
Mbili’s elder sister, Rossetta Harichand, told the Daily News that Padayachee had re-initiated contact with her sister two days before she was assaulted.
“They had broken up when Tina was still pregnant. We didn’t know that they had started chatting again. My sisters and I would have been very upset if we knew,” Harichand said.
The Sunday Tribune published pictures of a swollen and badly bruised Mbili, sparking outrage among several readers and prompting scores of comments on the Independent Newspapers website, www.iol.co.za
Mbili was discharged from hospital this week after she was treated for, among other injuries, a punctured lung and broken ribs. Harichand said her sister had also bled from her eyes and ears. - Daily news