The 32-year-old Pinetown man accused of stabbing and decapitating his grandmother pleaded not guilty to the crime committed in June last year.

Highway Mail reports that, after several delays, the trial of Thabo Ntokozo Theodore Nzimande got underway in the Durban High Court on Monday.

Nzimande is accused of murdering his grandmother Beata Beatrice de Lange, who was 80 years old at the time of the incident.

In his not guilty plea statement, Nzimande admitted that he lived with his grandmother at a residence in Pinetown.

“My mother passed away [a] long time ago. I am told I was about six years old at the time of her passing. I was raised mostly by my maternal family, and the deceased played a major role in my upbringing.

“Whilst I was attending high school, I started to smoke cigarette[s] and dagga. After I finished high school, I also smoked strong drugs, and there was a time when I drank alcohol excessively.

“With the help of my family, I attended a total of three rehabilitation [centres],” reads Nzimande’s statement.

The accused further recollected the events of that fateful day, stating that on their way home from work, he had purchased a bag of dagga worth R50.

“When I got home, my grandmother had prepared food; we ate and drank tea. I also smoked dagga. I was very tired, I needed something to make me sleep as I was going to work a double shift on the following day.

“At home I had my tablets, which was helping me to sleep, another one was helping me as I had a skin problem, and the other one was prescribed to help me ease my depression. On the night in question, I consumed about six Dopaquel tablets, one Phenergen tablet and one Serdep tablet. I usually take two Dopaquel, one Phenergen and one Serdep at night. This was the first time that I took six Dopaquel. I took six Dopaquel because I was having trouble falling asleep. I add that I continued smoking my dagga whilst I waited to fall asleep,” reads the statement.

Nzimande concluded by stating that he did not know what had transpired at the granny flat he lived in with his grandmother. He added that he was also unaware of where she was murdered, and also did not know what happened to her.

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