Cape Town - The young woman accused of murdering her girlfriend in an apparent satanic ritual claims they were engaged.
Corrine Jackson, 20, says her lover’s family did not approve of their relationship, and even though they had their ups and downs, she had asked 18-year-old Nadine Esterhuizen to be her wife.
Esterhuizen was a matriculant at Athlone High School and was busy preparing for her finals when she was murdered on September 27 at her sister’s rented house in Colorado Park.
Jackson, who was found in a locked toilet at the house, made her shocking revelations on Wednesday during her bail hearing at the Mitchells Plain Magistrates’ Court.
Jackson, of Woodlands, claims she killed Esterhuizen in self-defence, but prosecutor Darren Johnson said Esterhuizen had seven stab wounds to her head and that her head was nearly cut off.
Police found a cup of blood at the scene as well as the word “sorry” shaped on the kitchen floor with human hair.
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Jackson, who revealed she’s a Japanese anime fan, admitted she owned a sword and a black knife; the same knife used to kill Esterhuizen.
During cross-examination by Johnson, she admitted she suffered from a “mood disorder” which left her either happy and angry.
Jackson was assessed by a district surgeon last month and was found to be fit to stand trial.
“You seem to handle yourself quite well, you are intelligent?” said Johnson, and Jackson said “yes”.
“I have days when I am happy and then it will take one thing to make me angry. I saw psychologists and psychiatrists who showed me how to not respond and be calm and this was before I started dating Nadine.”
Nadine Esterhuizen Picture: Supplied
But Johnson said a protection order which Esterhuizen had obtained in July, revealed Jackson was manipulative.
Esterhuizen had lived with Jackson for two months and opened a case of assault against her relating to an incident at Strandfontein Pavilion in July.
“You called her a j***** and said she was stupid,” said Johnson, reading from the document.
But Jackson laughed, and said that was how she and Esterhuizen “teased” each other.
Johnson continued: “She said you were controlling, and became insecure when she doesn’t answer her phone. You didn’t approve of her dying her hair.
“At Strandfontein, you threw her cellphone into the ocean and threatened to stab her.”
Jackson said she and Esterhuizen had the same friends and that she was “no more insecure” than her lover.
Johnson further revealed Esterhuizen chose to continue with the case of assault charge and that a mediation process at court failed.
“You were her compass, her guiding light and she was nothing without you,” Johnson said.
“And then she left you, and she made those cases against you. That must have hurt you?”
But Jackson said Esterhuizen’s “homophobic” family forced the issue.
She then revealed she and Esterhuizen actually became engaged after this incident.
Smiling, she told Johnson: “No one knew she was my fiancée. I proposed to her in May.”
The case continues on 7 November.