Murdered bride’s family ‘just want to find truth’

They were speaking after the High Court temporarily halted the British businessman’s extradition because of the poor state of his mental health.

The family of Shrien Dewani, 32. who is accused of arranging the contract killing of wife Anni,28, in Cape Town in November 2010 during their honeymoon, say he is determined to go back and clear his name and “seek justice” for his late wife.

The care home owner from Bristol strenuously denies any wrongdoing.

He has been diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe depression and his lawyers argue that his health and life will be at risk if he is extradited.

Yesterday two High Court judges in London rejected claims that he should not be extradited on human rights grounds but said it would be “unjust and oppressive” to order his removal at present.

Although temporarily blocking extradition, Sir John Thomas, the president of the Queen’s Bench Division, and Mr Justice Ouseley, said it was plainly in the interests of justice that Dewani should be extradited “as soon as he is fit” to be tried.

Dewani’s relatives welcomed the ruling, saying: “The Dewani family are grateful that the High Court has upheld the appeal and blocked any attempt to extradite Shrien to South Africa now.

“Shrien is innocent and is determined to return to South Africa to clear his name and seek justice for his wife Anni.”

Ami Denborg, elder sister of the murdered bride, said she wanted Shrien to “get better” so he could travel to South Africa,

Speaking on behalf of the many family members who attended court yesterday, she said: “It would be oppressive to send him back if his health is not good, but we are happy as a family to hear that the court has decided that it is in the interests of justice that he will go back to South Africa.

“The court has rejected his appeal on human rights.

“I feel, and we feel, that there are a lot of delays and it is very painful for us, but we want to get to the truth about what happened to our sister Anni. We just want to know the truth because it is all about our dearest little sister who was murdered.”

Mrs Dewani, from Sweden, was shot when a taxi the couple were travelling in was hijacked in the Gugulethu township on the outskirts of Cape Town. She was found dead in the back of the abandoned vehicle with a bullet wound to her neck after taxi driver Zola Tongo drove the newly- weds to the impoverished area.

He and Shrien Dewani were ejected by the hijackers before Mrs Dewani was driven away and shot.

Tongo, who has admitted his part in the crime, claimed in a plea agreement with prosecutors that Dewani ordered the carjacking and paid for a hit on his wife.

Dewani’s case will now be remitted back to Westminster Magistrates Court.

Sir John said he would consider at a later date what directions, if any, should be made for keeping Dewani’s progress under review.

Any further dispute over whether or not he has sufficiently recovered for extradition to go ahead is likely to be heard at the magistrates court, with any subsequent appeal going back to the High Court.

Sir John said key factors that had persuaded the court to delay extradition included his unfitness to plead, increased prospects of a speedier recovery if he remains in the UK and “the lack of clear certainty” as to what would happen if he was returned to South Africa in his present condition.

The risk of suicide was also considered “to a much lesser degree”.

Sir John said: “In our view, the medical evidence – as to the unusual combination of PTSD and depression to such a severe degree and the appellant’s other conditions – was clear that extradition would present a real and significant risk to the life of the appellant.”

The High Court had the benefit of further evidence “from which it is apparent that the appellant is making a slow recovery under his current treatment regime”.

Sir John said: “That confirms the view we had reached on the evidence before the senior district judge that the senior district judge should have adjourned the extradition hearing.”