Anzunette du Plessis’s throat was slashed thrice and she had 10 stab wounds to her upper body, the Western Cape High Court heard.
|||Cape Town - Claremont mother Anzunette du Plessis’s throat was slashed three times and she had 10 stab wounds to her upper body, the Western Cape High Court has heard.
This was the gruesome testimony of forensic pathologist Estevao Afonso who was giving evidence against Moegamat Armien Salie.
At the start of the trial on Monday, Salie, 31, admitted that he had killed Du Plessis, 33, but claimed the attack on her was not premeditated. The State did not accept this and proceeded to call witnesses to prove that he had planned the October 4 murder and robbery.
Afonso, who performed the autopsy, told the court on Tuesday that the cause of death was “sharp force trauma and the consequences thereof”.
He said there was a 250mm wound to De Plessis’s neck.
“There was at least three incised wounds. Three injuries to that area that show at least three draws of the knife across the neck.”
Afonso testified one of the cuts had penetrated her airway making it difficult to breathe. In addition, an artery was severed, causing severe bleeding.
“Bleeding from the facial artery would have been profuse and as well as that of the other stab wounds. Therefore the blood in the office (inside the house) is consistent with the injuries,” Afonso said.
He described other stab wounds to Du Plessis’s back that had penetrated her lungs. She also had a number of bruises on her body and wounds on her hands which indicated that she may have tried to fight off her attacker, Afonso said.
On Monday, Salie admitted in court that he had stabbed Du Plessis during an argument over money. He and his father had fixed a leak on the roof of her rented house about two weeks before the murder.
That day, he returned to the house saying he wanted to check on the work that was done.
Du Plessis let him in and an argument started over money he claimed she owed him for odd jobs he had done around the house. He told her that he would take some of her possessions and return them once she had paid him.
But the State contends that Salie came to the house intending to rob and kill Du Plessis. He faces a minimum sentence of life in prison for murder and 15 years in jail for aggravated robbery.
The court heard on Tuesday there was no sign of sexual assault.
The trial continues on Wednesday.
jade.otto@inl.co.za
Cape Argus