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| South African found guilty of Anni Dewani murder | South African found guilty of Anni Dewani murder |
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| A South African accused of being the gunman in the 2010 honeymoon murder of Anni Dewani has been found guilty as the woman's British husband continues to fight extradition over the killing. | A South African accused of being the gunman in the 2010 honeymoon murder of Anni Dewani has been found guilty as the woman's British husband continues to fight extradition over the killing. |
| Judge Robert Henney gave his verdict on Monday in the trial of Xolile Mngeni, charged with killing the 28-year-old Swedish bride. Prosecutors said Mngeni was hired by Dewani's husband, Shrien, to carry out the November 2010 killing, which was made to look like a carjacking. | Judge Robert Henney gave his verdict on Monday in the trial of Xolile Mngeni, charged with killing the 28-year-old Swedish bride. Prosecutors said Mngeni was hired by Dewani's husband, Shrien, to carry out the November 2010 killing, which was made to look like a carjacking. |
| Mngeni, who had surgery in June 2011 to remove a brain tumour, has suffered seizures and blackouts and has trouble remembering things, his lawyer has said. His poor health slowed the trial and he appeared thinner on Monday than he had at previous hearings. Mngeni used a walker to enter the court and sat without betraying much emotion during the proceedings, looking straight ahead at the judge as he spoke and a translator offered his words in Xhosa. | Mngeni, who had surgery in June 2011 to remove a brain tumour, has suffered seizures and blackouts and has trouble remembering things, his lawyer has said. His poor health slowed the trial and he appeared thinner on Monday than he had at previous hearings. Mngeni used a walker to enter the court and sat without betraying much emotion during the proceedings, looking straight ahead at the judge as he spoke and a translator offered his words in Xhosa. |
| In his ruling, Henney dismissed claims by Mngeni's lawyer that his client had been set up for the killing. Henney found Mngeni guilty of murder and robbery charges, while acquitting him of kidnapping charges. | In his ruling, Henney dismissed claims by Mngeni's lawyer that his client had been set up for the killing. Henney found Mngeni guilty of murder and robbery charges, while acquitting him of kidnapping charges. |
| In August, Mngeni's alleged accomplice Mziwamadoda Qwabe pleaded guilty to charges over the killing, receiving a 25-year prison sentence. Zola Tongo, the taxi driver who police say Shrien Dewani asked to plot the killing, earlier pleaded guilty to charges over the slaying and received an 18-year prison sentence. Both Tongo and Qwabe have said Dewani wanted it to look like he was not involved in his wife's killing and they planned to have the attack look like a carjacking in Cape Town's impoverished Gugulethu township. | In August, Mngeni's alleged accomplice Mziwamadoda Qwabe pleaded guilty to charges over the killing, receiving a 25-year prison sentence. Zola Tongo, the taxi driver who police say Shrien Dewani asked to plot the killing, earlier pleaded guilty to charges over the slaying and received an 18-year prison sentence. Both Tongo and Qwabe have said Dewani wanted it to look like he was not involved in his wife's killing and they planned to have the attack look like a carjacking in Cape Town's impoverished Gugulethu township. |
| In a statement provided as part of his plea deal, Qwabe said that after he and Mngeni staged the fake hijacking, he drove the car as Mngeni kept a 7.62mm pistol pointed at Anni Dewani in the back seat and then pulled the trigger, the fatal shot going through her neck. Panicked, Qwabe said he stopped the car and got out, helping Mngeni find the spent bullet casing. He threw it into a sewer as they ran away. | In a statement provided as part of his plea deal, Qwabe said that after he and Mngeni staged the fake hijacking, he drove the car as Mngeni kept a 7.62mm pistol pointed at Anni Dewani in the back seat and then pulled the trigger, the fatal shot going through her neck. Panicked, Qwabe said he stopped the car and got out, helping Mngeni find the spent bullet casing. He threw it into a sewer as they ran away. |
| Officials initially thought the crime was a robbery. In South Africa violent crime is high but attacks on foreign tourists are rare. | Officials initially thought the crime was a robbery. In South Africa violent crime is high but attacks on foreign tourists are rare. |
| Shrien Dewani denied he hired anyone to kill his wife and was allowed by authorities to leave South Africa for the UK, where he was later arrested. In March, a British high court ruled that it would be "unjust and oppressive" to extradite Dewani to South Africa, as his mental condition had worsened since his arrest. | Shrien Dewani denied he hired anyone to kill his wife and was allowed by authorities to leave South Africa for the UK, where he was later arrested. In March, a British high court ruled that it would be "unjust and oppressive" to extradite Dewani to South Africa, as his mental condition had worsened since his arrest. |
| Dewani's lawyer told the court in a hearing on 31 July that he needed at least a year to recover from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder before being potentially sent back to South Africa. | Dewani's lawyer told the court in a hearing on 31 July that he needed at least a year to recover from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder before being potentially sent back to South Africa. |
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