Dewani murder case: Accused husband attempts suicide

LONDON - Indian-origin Briton Shrien Dewani, accused of murdering his newly-married wife Anni during their honeymoon in Cape Town, reportedly tried to kill himself and had to be admitted to hospital.

Dewani, wanted in South Africa for Anni’s killing, took an overdose of tablets. The 31-year-old businessman has lost almost 12 kg weight and become “very, very fragile” because of stress and depression, the Daily Telegraph reported.

“He was taken to hospital on Sunday afternoon, according to his family, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder which he has been suffering from. It has been getting worse and causing particular concern to his family and his doctors,” his spokesman, Max Clifford, was quoted as saying.

Clifford, however, said he could not confirm whether it was a suicide bid.

“He is in a very bad place at the moment, which is not surprising given the tragic case of his wife and all the accusations since. He is in a bad way. He has lost as much as 12 kilos in recent weeks. He is OK in hospital but when he comes out he will have to have 24-hour medical care at home.” he added.

He said the trauma was building up after Anni’s death and what happened would have affected anybody.

Anni Dewani, from Sweden, was murdered last year on the evening of Nov 13 after the taxi she and her husband Shrien were travelling in was hijacked as it passed through the Gugulethu township on the outskirts of Cape Town in South Africa. She was found dead in the back of the abandoned vehicle the next morning with a bullet wound to her neck. The South African police suspect Shrien of plotting the hijack-murder.

Shrien, of Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, is due to appear for an extradition hearing set for May 3-5.