Father of rape and murder-accused Amber Lee Hughes testifies in court
In shocking court testimony, Howard Hughes recounts his daughter’s frantic call, a locked gate pulled open by a tow truck, failed CPR attempts, and a 45-minute ambulance delay.
Howard Duncan Clyde Hughes, the father of the rape and murder-accused Amber Lee Hughes, testified on May 28 in the Johannesburg High Court.
This came following a dramatic start. Through his defence advocate, Michelle Ives, he requested that his photo not be broadcast. Judge Richard Mkhabela rejected the plea, citing that it had already been published previously.
Howard explained to the court that he received a frantic call from his daughter while driving home from work with a friend, Miguel, around 17:10. He said he struggled to understand her, but caught the words ‘accident’ and ‘please help.’ He asked for her location and told Miguel to drive him there.
He said that when he arrived, a white bakkie was parked outside with a man inside. They couldn’t enter because of a vicious dog, and the gate was locked with chains. A tow truck attached a wire and pulled the gate open.
The man in the white bakkie, Maruan (a friend of Nada-Jane’s father), then entered the house.
When Maruan exited the house, he was carrying Nada-Jane. He put her outside on the pavement and, together with another person, started doing CPR. Howard said it seemed they didn’t know what they were doing. He then asked his friend to call the paramedics, and he took over to perform CPR under the paramedics’ instructions on the phone.
He continued for about 10 minutes. When he turned Nada-Jane’s head to the side, clear water came out, making him believe the CPR was working. He said someone checked her pulse and urged him to continue.
Frustrated by the ambulance delay, he told others to take her to the hospital. Along with a gentleman, they placed her in a nearby black BMW and instructed the man to continue CPR. Howard did not go with them. He said Nada-Jane was alive at that point and that he never saw her again.
@southern.courierIn shocking court testimony, Howard Hughes recounts his daughter’s frantic call, a locked gate pulled open by a tow truck, failed CPR attempts, and a 45-minute ambulance delay. Read more on southerncourier.co.za
“When the ambulance finally arrived, about 45 minutes later, he asked the crew to check on his daughter. Inside, he found her sitting on the lounge floor, with a bleeding wrist, surrounded by paramedics.
Her phone and purse were on the ledge, and he asked if he could take them. They agreed, and he put them in his pocket because there were a lot of people in the house. He then went home.
He said the phone was later stolen during a visit to his daughter in jail, and that an attempt was also made to steal his car at the time.
State advocate Rolene Barnard and Ives confirmed that they would file their heads of argument electronically, and the court postponed the case to June 2 for closing arguments.
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