For the first time in more than two years, Amber Lee Hughes admitted that she had drowned the deceased, Nada-Jane Therese Challita, on January 23, 2023, by sitting on her, which resulted in her being submerged in water.

Judge Richard Mkhabela postponed the case to August 7 for closing arguments.

These revelations were made on July 24 at the Johannesburg High Court. Her defence team, led by Marius Bouwer, read her additional admissions in terms of Section 220 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

Some of her admissions include

She stated that she acknowledges her actions were unlawful and that she intended to drown the deceased.

“I admit that I suffered from borderline personality disorder at the time of the incident but was aware of what I was doing on that day. The event was triggered by the argument I had with the deceased’s father concerning his infidelity, and the final trigger was when he told me that I should stop bombarding him.

“I admit that after the deceased became unresponsive, I left her in the bathtub with the cold water tap still running. I then attempted to commit suicide by cutting my wrist with a glass bottle, which had been run over and broken by the dog.

“I made further suicide attempts by hanging myself, which was unsuccessful, and again by cutting my wrists with a knife, causing a deep laceration. I then went outside and tried to hang myself again, but could not find a suitable rope.

“I went back into the house, ran around hysterically, and then went to the lounge, where I sat next to the couch until Marwan Fallah entered the house. He administered CPR on the table in my presence. The deceased reacted and expelled fluid on the table. I was admitted to South Rand Hospital on the day of the incident, where I was classified as parasuicidal. The diagnosis made at the hospital was borderline personality disorder.

@southern.courierIn a dramatic turn at the Johannesburg High Court, Hughes confessed to the 2023 killing, revealing chilling details of the incident and prompting mixed reactions from both families. Read full story on southerncourier.co.za

♬ original sound – Southern Courier

“I admit that I pleaded not guilty to the rape charges and maintain my denial that I raped the deceased by inserting any object into her anus or vagina. At all material times, I denied that, on the day in question or at any previous time, I sexually assaulted or sexually abused the deceased,” she said.

Elie Challita welcomes Amber’s admission

Elie Challita, the father of the deceased, Nada-Jane, expressed a sense of relief after the court proceedings. He said that had Amber, said in court before, what she said now, the case could have been resolved a long time ago.

@southern.courierElie Challita welcomes Amber’s admission Elie Challita, the father of the deceased, Nada-Jane, expressed a sense of relief after the court proceedings. He said that had Amber, said in court before, what she said now, the case could have been resolved a long time ago. Read full story on southerncourier.co.za♬ original sound – Southern Courier

“I feel better because some of the truth is starting to come out. I’m a bit relieved, as I’ve been waiting for this moment for a very long time. It didn’t come as a big shock, because everyone knows, and it’s very clear,” he said.

He mentioned that Amber had been pleading innocent for nearly three years, and something changed on July 24.

“The first thing I said when I came out of the court was that we could have started here from the first session, and this could have been over a long time ago. But some people don’t want to believe what they’ve done and don’t want to take responsibility. Sooner or later, it catches up with them.

“Now I know, legally, she killed my child. I’m now waiting to find out how long she tortured her before she killed her,” he said.

Amber’s father shares his view

The Alberton Record spoke to Amber’s father, Howard Duncan Clyde Hughes, after the court proceedings. He said, “This could have been sorted out a long time ago if things had been handled properly.

“I feel sorry for the other girls who still have to go through what my daughter is going through, because the State doesn’t have enough attorneys to handle the workload.

“Each attorney ends up dealing with over 300 cases, and this delays the process for at least three to four years. If Legal Aid had enough attorneys to consult with inmates, this would have been resolved already.”

WATCH: New defence team takes over Amber Lee Hughes murder and rape trial