Kimberley - Murder accused John Mamogale described his marriage as the happiest years of his life; and because he had grown up without a family, this was a “big achievement” for him.
This is according to Dr Keith Kirimi, who conducted a psychiatric assessment on Mamogale, a former SANDF member accused of murdering his wife, Shelly Mamogale, 27.
Dr Kirimi was called to testify about the psychiatric condition of the accused at the time of and subsequent to the shooting incident at the Boitumelo Jwa Sechaba Guesthouse in Minerva Gardens four years ago.
In his report, Kirimi concluded that Mamogale had a long history of major depression precipitated by marital difficulties which had seen him attend sessions with then SANDF psychologist Marissa van der Walt.
He was further prescribed medication, including antidepressants, by a general practitioner.
“On the day of the incident, he was acting strangely and irrationally, as observed by a friend,” noted Kirimi. “He did not flee the crime scene but was negotiated into handing over the firearm. He has also continued to receive treatment.”
Kirimi added that, in his opinion, Mamogale was depressed and anxious at the time of his wife’s death, saying that although the accused had known the difference between right and wrong, he had not been able to act accordingly.
During his consultations following the shooting, Kirimi said that he had found Mamogale to be deeply regretful of depriving his child of a mother and his in-laws of a daughter. “He was saying, Why don’t I just kill myself? I have hurt so many people with my actions’.”
Kirimi said that the accused’s memories of the day were sketchy in some aspects with total amnesia in others. These included an inability to remember who he had visited prior to the incident and what exactly had transpired on the day of the shooting.
“The stigma of the crime and the separation from his children were profound factors for him,” said the psychiatrist with regard to the accused’s state of mind following his arrest.
Kirimi believed that Mamogale’s psychiatric conditioned stemmed from his 12-week deployment in 2010 when he began to suspect his wife of infidelity.
He added that he found it curious that the victim’s family were so concerned about their son-in-law’s mental health while in prison, describing them as persuasive and even “pushy” when requesting him to take on the accused as a private patient.
According to Kirimi, a large percentage of mental health issues have their origin in childhood and he pointed out that Mamogale had grown up as an only child, essentially without a father figure.
Brought up as a member of the Zionist Christian Church, Mamogale’s aunt recalled during an interview with Kirimi that the accused had often led the family in prayer at home and if someone in the community died, he was regularly called on to pray for them.
“His aunt describes him as clever, respectful and someone who could have been a doctor if the resources had been there.”
According to the aunt, Mamogale saved the money he received for doing chores around the house and when times were hard, he would assist with the money that he had saved, money that he could have spent on sweets.
When he finished school, he traded in the Pretoria CBD, selling balloons and other items, and continued to assist financially at home, essentially becoming the breadwinner, which he continued when he enlisted in the SANDF.
According to Kirimi, Mamogale’s sister-in-law had described the marriage between him and Shelly as a very blessed relationship, adding that they were always happy. “His sister-in-law said John couldn’t stay away from Shelly and he wanted her for himself.”
According to the sister-in-law, their disagreements often revolved around his jealously but they would work through it and be happy again.
“It was apparent in the interview with John that growing up without a family affected him and he felt that his family was a big achievement for him.”
A phone call, from someone named Paul, appeared to have triggered severe depression in Mamogale as he felt that his marriage had been placed in jeopardy. “At the time of the incident, his sister-in-law observed him to be very depressed and he expressed feelings that he wanted to die,” Kirimi stated.
He added that there was also a statement by the deceased’s mother who said Mamogale acted very strangely on the day. “He had no shirt on and was sweating profusely. She said she had never seen him like that.”
According to Kirimi, it was his impression that Mamogale’s judgement was grossly impaired by his mental status.
“He even made an offer to be on duty that day. This was an attempt to commit suicide with his service weapon.
“I think that on the day of the incident, he was very depressed and suicidal. I believe that he had acute stress disorder and his stresses related to the fact that he believed someone was interfering in his marriage and his family issues were coming to the fore.”
Kirimi said that at some point Mamogale lost control. “My impression is that on that day his ability to distinguish right from wrong was in question and had been diminished by his mental anguish.”
He added that when anxiety became excessive, it could lead to amnesia. The case was postponed until Thursday.
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