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News

Shrien Dewani trial

66 replies

WhoDaresWins · 08/10/2014 12:20

I can't see a thread on this and I think it's going to be similar to the Pistorius trial in that the evidence is circumstantial and either version could easily be the truth.

One of the convicted killers has been giving evidence this morning and has given a fairly straightforward version of events thus far.

I also read Dewani's statement which throws up lots of questions.

Early thoughts?

OP posts:

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AbbieHoffmansAfro · 08/10/2014 13:46

No idea what really happened but two oddities have always stood out for me:

-Why did Dewani meet one of the men in the hotel clandestinely and hand over money? If he were just paying for a township tour why not do so more openly?

-How is it he even survived? As I understand it SA car-jackers don't usually leave witnesses.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 08/10/2014 22:43

The aspect of this case that has never sat right with me is 'motive'. In everything I've read (admittedly not comprehensive) the defendant seemed to gain nothing from the death of his new wife.

On the question of handing over money in a hotel, having spent quite a lot of time in RSA, I know that combi drivers often hawk 'edgy' trips to townships and shibeens (rough bars) to tourists.

TabithaMcKitten · 09/10/2014 10:00

I just can't understand why he would have just asked a random taxi driver to arrange her murder.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 09/10/2014 13:46

Yes, imagine if you approached a London cabbie with a similar proposal.

DuelingFanjo · 08/12/2014 11:01

Marvelous. So glad that this has been thrown out. Seeing lots of stuff on Twitter about how he definitely did it but I really can't see how any evidence showed that to be true. People are comparing it to the Pistorius trial and saying it's another case of a terrible judgement but it seems totally different to me and clear that there was no evidence of a plot to kill his wife. here

LIttleMcF · 08/12/2014 11:36

I believe he is guilty. I think the prosecution did a shocking job, but on balance of all available information before and during trial, I'm convinced of his guilt. I see how others will reach a different conclusion, but I'm astonished and appalled by this outcome.

Isitmebut · 08/12/2014 11:48

I'm not sure which is worse; U.S. or South African 'justice'.

rubyflipper · 08/12/2014 11:58

I think he got away with it, thanks to shoddy police and prosecution work.

CogitOIOIO · 08/12/2014 12:05

I'm not surprised by this ruling and think it's the right one. The only evidence of conspiracy appeared to be the say-so of a car-jacker/murderer. Feel very sorry for all concerned, including Mr Dewani, and think the RSA justice system should have been much quicker in deciding there was no case to answer.

EachandEveryone · 08/12/2014 12:54

I totally think it's wrong. I think they knew the guy with the brain tumour would die eventually and they've dragged it on for as long as possible.

MonstrousRatbag · 08/12/2014 13:02

I don't see how there are comparisons to Pistorius-they seem like radically different cases to me.

If the main prosecution witness can't tell the truth about anything, there is no basis on which to convict Dewani.

And people are free to have differing views of course, but we have to bear in mind how different following a case in the media is from seeing all the documents and watching the witnesses give evidence.

Nancy66 · 08/12/2014 13:16

So the message is: if you want to get away with murder, commit it in South Africa.

EachandEveryone · 08/12/2014 13:21

I agree.

Will he live an open gay life now or will he do what his parents demand and marry some other naive girl?

It makes me go cold,

DuelingFanjo · 08/12/2014 13:22

"So the message is: if you want to get away with murder, commit it in South Africa"

I would say the message is, if you want to try someone for murder then you need some evidence and witnesses who speak truthfully (or at least are capable of covering up their lies!).

Someone on Twitter puts it better than me:

"If Dewani cannot be proven guilty then him being free is not 'a failure of the South African justice system"

DuelingFanjo · 08/12/2014 13:23

people seem so hung up on the gay/bisexual thing.

EachandEveryone · 08/12/2014 13:25

Not hung up. Its a massive part of it. It's an absolute no no. An Asian doctor killed himself just afew days ago because his mother demanded he sought a cure for his homosexuality. He married her and he shouldn't have.

Nancy66 · 08/12/2014 13:29

I agree that the prosecution spectacularly buggered this up but there is a strong whiff of corruption about it. And the entire SA legal system seems deeply flawed

DuelingFanjo · 08/12/2014 13:32

isn't it a massive part which was ruled inadmissible?

most gay people in Heterosexual relationships don't kill their spouses, not even the religious ones.

I really can't see how this is corrupt given the reasons the judge gave. The evidence and the testimony was so awful.

Nancy66 · 08/12/2014 13:53

the plea bargaining was dodgy. and there's evidence that some of the prosecution documents were falsified

TipseyTorvey · 08/12/2014 14:55

Didn't one of the killers get a reduced sentence for agreeing to testify against Dewani? I'm fairly sure anyone in the same boat would be keen to lay blame elsewhere if promised a reduced sentence.

I agree, with TabithaMckitten though, why on earth would anyone ask a random taxi driver to kill their wife??? There's a whole darknet out there for that kind of thing (apparently - not that I use it personally) so why go to a country you don't know and approach a man who's job it is to drive you around? I don't think he was guilty (based purely on tabloid info which admittedly is slight!)

Nancy66 · 08/12/2014 15:10

oh I think he was guilty. I just don't think they had a good enough case against him

hackmum · 08/12/2014 17:17

"Didn't one of the killers get a reduced sentence for agreeing to testify against Dewani?"

I think all three did. The evidence against him, in the end, seemed very weak. I agree the payment to the taxi driver looked suspicious, but then if you're going to kill your wife it does seem like an odd way of going about it. Maybe we'll never know.

prh47bridge · 08/12/2014 17:18

Being bisexual is not motive for Dewani to murder his wife.

There was a recent Panorama that highlighted inconsistencies between the physical evidence, witness testimony and the prosecution version of events. The report noted that the forensic evidence was not properly collected but that which was pointed to an accidental shooting in a struggle rather than a deliberate killing. Tongo's supposed cut of the fee was less than half his usual monthly salary. Mngeni and Qwabe made substantially more from stealing the Dewani's belongings than the alleged value of the "contract".

People are entitled to think Dewani was guilty but I find it incredible that he would ask a taxi driver he had met minutes previously to arrange a murder for him. I do not see any credible evidence that he was involved.

Nancy66 · 08/12/2014 18:05

what makes no sense is that the murderers let him go - life is cheap in SA and they'd surely have killed him too to avoid being identified.

prh47bridge · 08/12/2014 18:15

they'd surely have killed him too to avoid being identified

South Africa's murder rate is high but only 1 in 250 carjackings results in a murder. Given that the forensic evidence suggests the shooting was accidental it could well be that the robbers did not intend to kill either of their victims.

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