Groom accused of honeymoon car-jack murder can be extradited says judge

Shrien Dewani, 31, denies any involvement in the death of Anni Dewani, who was shot dead in a taxi in Cape Town last November in an apparent car-jacking.

Her widower, who is accused of ordering the attack, has fought extradition proceedings, saying he is suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

District Judge Howard Riddle, handing down the judgment at Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court in London, said there was a “strong public interest” in Dewani being extradited, however.

He said he had “no doubt” Dewani was at high risk of suicide or self-harm, but that he believed he would receive appropriate mental health care at the hands of the South African authorities.

Judge Riddle said Dewani, whom he described as “good-looking, youthful and physically well-preserved”, would be particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse, adding: “There has been some suggestion that he may be gay.”

But he added that he was satisfied that Dewani, who has been staying at a secure mental health hospital in Bristol, would be held in a prison with good facilities in a single cell.

The application to extradite Dewani will now be passed to Home Secretary Theresa May for her to make the final decision.