A Durban woman on Friday admitted to having allowed her boyfriend to kill her mother.
Astrid Tavira told the Durban High Court she allowed her boyfriend, Waleed Karriem, to kill her mother Freda Tavira so they could get an insurance payout.
Speaking during her bail application, Astrid told the court she was approached by Karriem, who suggested killing her mother would help them pay off their debt.
After the conversation she “kissed him goodbye”, she told the court.
Karriem admitted before the court earlier this month that he raped, sodomised and killed Tavira at her Newlands East home on August 23. The 50-year-old woman was found strangled and badly bruised.
Karriem, 34, was reportedly out on early parole after he had been jailed for 15 years for rape in 1999. He was released after serving 10 years of his sentence.
Astrid’s bail application was expected to be finalised on September 22.
The State has opposed bail, arguing her safety could not be guaranteed if she were to be released. She also did not have a place to stay.
Investigating officer Sergeant Andre Moses said her mother’s house had burnt down.
“The State has a very strong case against her. We also took her cellphone and we will have a look at the cellphone records,” he said.
Testifying on behalf of the State, Astrid’s cousin, Mario Tavira, described her as someone who did “satanic things” before her mother’s killer.
He said her 18-month-old baby had been “engraved” with her boyfriend’s mother’s name. The matter was reported to the social welfare department and the baby taken away from her. -
Sapa