Emotions ran high as a woman teared up while testifying how she saw her sister slumped over on the toilet, while her alleged killer watched television.
Sandra Ahmed, was giving evidence during the murder trial of 50-year-old Ashley Mahadeo in the Durban Regional Court last Thursday
He is accused of strangling and killing his partner of seven years, Julie Rajpaul, at their shared flat in North Beach.
Rajpal, 48, a correctional services officer at Westville Prison, was found slumped over on the toilet at their flat on October 26 in 2023.
At the time, it was believed the mother of three had used a jacket, tied to the burglar guard on the window above the toilet, to “commit suicide”.
However, the following month, Mahadeo, 50, a mechanic was arrested and charged with her death.
A post-mortem report confirmed Rajpaul’s death was caused by “manual strangulation”.
According to the charge sheet, the State, represented by prosecutor Tiyani Mabasa, alleged that Rajpaul’s death resulted from physical abuse, as per the definition of domestic violence in the Domestic Violence Act.
Mahadeo pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial.
Ahmed testified about the relationship between Mahadeo and Rajpaul.
She said Rajpaul told her she was verbally and physically abused.
Ahmed further testified that Rajpaul had called her just after 6pm on the day of the incident.
“She asked me to pick her up from work the next day, at midday. She told me I needed to help her move from his (Mahadeo) flat to Morningside, the new place she will be renting.”
When Mabasa asked what state Rajpaul was in at the time, Ahmed said “very emotional”.
“She was scared, she was crying. She asked me to come with her because she did not want to be alone. I did inform her that I was working on that day, but I will try to finish early to help her.”
That was the last conversation they had.
Ahmed said she received a call from a police officer at 1:30am.
“He said my sister committed suicide, which I did not agree with.”
At that stage Ahmed broke down in court while speaking about hearing the news of her sister’s death.
“I was very emotional, very traumatised. I could barely speak on the phone, and my son had to speak to the police officer.”
Ahmed said when they arrived at Mahadeo and Rajpaul’s flat, police had already arrived at the scene.
“They (police) took me to the bathroom and opened the door, that is when I saw my sister. It looked like my sister was carried and put onto the toilet seat. Her hands were on her lap. I could see her face as her head was down, but the bone at the back of her neck was jutting out.”
When Mabasa asked about Mahadeo’s whereabouts at the time, Ahmed responded: “The accused was in the lounge, smiling, watching the television, going through his phone. He asked me what I was doing there. I told him obviously, it is my sister, I have to be here,” she testified.
Image: Supplied
Ahmed testified that she later collected only some of Rajpaul’s belongings.
“He (Mahadeo) just threw my sister’s belongings out of the flat…”
Cross-examination
Under cross-examination, Mahadeo’s legal representative, advocate Sphamandla Ngcobo, questioned Ahmed if Rajpaul had called her for solace or to report the abuse on the same day she died.
Ahmed said while her sister had called for help to move, she was aware that her sister was (allegedly) in an abusive relationship.
“We spoke to her but she was afraid of him because he was threatening her.”
Ngcobo further questioned Ahmed on why she had not done anything.
“What did you do? Did you report it to the police that ‘my sister is in this situation. She just told me if anything happens to her, they should ask the accused (Mahadeo)’.”
Ngcobo further put to Ahmed that Rajpaul was not in any danger on the day of the alleged incident.
“Because if she was, you would have reported it to the police,” he said.
However, Ahmed said she had not, her niece did.
Ngcobo questioned Ahmed on whether Rajpaul had a protection order.
“Did she ever confide in you, ‘I am attending court, this is what he does to me. I want this to be dealt with in a domestic-related court’? Do you know anything like that?”
Ahmed said while Rajpaul may not have opened a case, she was in an (alleged) abusive relationship.
“Maybe she never opened a case but many times she told me that she was abused. He told her to not sit on the settees or sleep on the bed. She took her stuff and slept on the sitting room floor.”
Ngcobo further put to Ahmed that there was no evidence to support the allegations of abuse.
However, Ahmed responded: “Unfortunately, neither you nor I can say whether she was in an abusive relationship. You were not there, neither was I. If my sister was here, she would have spoken for herself.”
The trial continues.
