The woman known as the “White Widow” allegedly hired her gardener to assassinate her husband.
Nell-Marie Cooke was arrested last week after her alleged plot was exposed by none other than the target, her estranged hubby Martin Cooke.
The Worcester mom of two is said to have approached her gardener to get rid of her husband and he then asked a friend of his to get involved in the hit.
Martin apparently came across a note in his wife’s postbox wherein the “hitmen” requested payment.
Two suspects were taken into custody and have since decided to save their own skins by turning State witnesses and fingering Cooke.
But the 30-year-old mother is not only being investigating for conspiring to murder her 33-year-old husband.
During her bail application hearing on Tuesday, the Worcester Magistrates’ Court heard that police are also looking into two fraud cases against her.
It is alleged Cooke fraudulently bought an item from a Worcester business using someone else’s name.
And while the investigations into her fraud and conspiracy to murder charges continue, the mom has to wait to hear if she or her husband will get custody of their two kids in their divorce.
Cooke also revealed she and her husband have been estranged since December.
Last year, the High Court ruled that the kids must stay with Martin, but Cooke testified that assessments were done over the past week to make a final decision after she insisted on a second opinion.
This battle, as well as Martin’s request to have the maintenance for the kids reduced from R3 000 each to R500, is believed to be the motive for the alleged hit.
When the Daily Voice approached Martin for comment, he declined to speak out of fear it might jeopardise his custody battle.
And on Wednesday, the “White Widow’s” larney house was shut tight and she was not available to speak to the Daily Voice reporter.
*This article was published in the Daily Voice