Shrien Dewani denies plot to murder wife and tells court he's bisexual
British millionaire Shrien Dewani on trial in Cape Town accused of arranging honeymoon murder
British millionaire Shrien Dewani has denied murdering his young bride while on a honeymoon in Cape Town and admitted he was bisexual, in an explosive opening to his trial yesterday.
Glancing nervously around court, Dewani told the court he was "not guilty" of charges of murder, kidnapping and obstructing justice.
For three years he had fought extradition to South Africa, where he is now being tried for killing his 28-year-old Swedish-born bride Anni Dewani, who was shot dead on November 13, 2010.
In a statement read by defence lawyer Francois van Zyl, Dewani admitted he was bisexual, but said he was "instantly physically attracted" to Anni and came to love her.
"There was no doubt in my mind that I loved Anni and that I wanted to create a future for both of us," the statement said.
He was sent back to South Africa in April to answer charges and was declared mentally fit to stand trial.
Dewani claims he and his bride were hijacked at gunpoint as they drove through Cape Town's impoverished Gugulethu township in a taxi. Dewani escaped unharmed, but his wife's body was found in the abandoned car the next day. The court was shown graphic footage of the crime scene, including images of Anni's body prompting audible gasps from Anni's family.
The prosecution is expected to argue that Dewani is gay and was so desperate to escape an arranged marriage that he hired hitmen to kill his bride.
One of the main witnesses for the prosecution will be a sado-masochism "master" who will claim that Dewani paid him for sex. Gay prostitute Leopold Leisser is said to have told British police that Dewani had told him he was getting married to a "lovely girl", but he needed "to find a way out of it".
"I've had sexual interaction with both males and females. I consider myself bisexual," Dewani's statement said.
"My sexual interactions with males were mostly physical experiences or email chats with people I met online or in clubs, including prostitutes."
Three South Africans have been tried and convicted and are serving jail sentences of between 18 years and life for their role in Anni Dewani's death.
Taxi driver Zola Tongo admitted guilt in a plea bargain along with another man, Mziwamadoda Qwabe. The two were sentenced to 18 and 25 years in prison respectively.
A third man, Xolile Mngeni, was found guilty of firing the shot that killed Anni Dewani and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Tongo's claim that Shrien Dewani offered him 15,000 rand (HK$10,300) to have Anni killed is expected to play a key role in the prosecution's arguments.
The case has angered many in South Africa who accuse Dewani of callously using the country's reputation for violent crime to murder his wife in the belief that he would get away with it.
Anni's family said it has been "a period of torture" since her death.
"All I ask for is the full story and justice," Anni's father, Vinod Hindocha, said on Sunday.
Anni's uncle, Ashok Hindocha, said they hoped the trial would help them get on with their lives. "We are not going to get Anni back … but we need to know the truth so we can move on."
Both Dewani and Anni are of Indian origin, from what news reports have described as devout Hindu families.
Anni's cousin Sneha Hindocha, cited by South Africa's , chronicles a rocky 17-month courtship during which Anni often felt sexually rejected by Dewani.
