Judgment day set for Amber Lee Hughes in Mulbarton child rape, murder case

Rape and murder accused Amber Lee Hughes will know her fate when Judge Richard Mkhabela hands down judgment on June 19.

This was revealed in the Johannesburg High Court on June 2 after closing arguments from State Advocate Jolene Barnard and defence Advocate Michelle Ives.

In her opening argument, Barnard said the State had relied on direct and expert evidence, circumstantial evidence, inference and data messages. She also said she considered the evidence in its entirety, including the accused’s testimony.

She again said there were no direct witnesses to how the deceased died. The evidence, she argued, proved a prima facie case that Hughes had murdered Nada-Jane by drowning her and raped her by inserting objects.

Barnard said something was said to Elie Chalita (father of Nada-Jane) to make him react frantically. The data messages showed: “You broke my heart, I will burn your heart.” She asked why else he would have sent those messages.

She said the cause of death was consistent with what Maruan Fala, a friend of Chalita, found, based on the evidence of Dr Hestelle van Staden, which supported drowning. The accused was the only person present that day.

Barnard said the accused’s actions did not correspond with those of an innocent person. She did not assist Fala when he tried to resuscitate the deceased. There were improbabilities and inconsistencies in her evidence. Fala said the accused was bleeding on both wrists, and Amber said one arm.

In her plea explanation, paragraph 14, last sentence, she said, “I was at the hospital for some hours, waiting to hear about the deceased. I was in shock and treated for my injuries to my hands.” So, there were injuries to her hands, which means her evidence is contradictory.

She said her hand was bleeding when she tried to help Nada-Jane, but there was no blood in the bathroom. This is important for the timeline. She did not trip and cut her hand; the injury happened afterwards. She cut her wrist after the incident.

Also, if she found the deceased in the bathtub, why did she open the tap instead of pulling the plug to let out the water? She did not scream, shout for help or call the deceased’s father; instead, she called her own father. When he arrived and called her, she did not answer her phone. She was supposed to pick up the phone while waiting for help.

Despite an emotionally charged argument with Chalita, the accused had time to play and dance to music with Nada-Jane. Hughes sent a message to Chalita that showed her state of mind at 13:16:17: “Do you even care that I’m not knowing what to do and Nada-Jane is wiping my tears with the sheets we slept on last night.”

Barnard said she found it hard to believe that the accused could have played and danced with the deceased in that state of mind.

Improbabilities and imperfections

Many messages were sent between the pair, and at 16:35, the messages stopped for some time.

That’s when Chalita started asking questions: “Did you hurt my child? Is the baby okay? Don’t do something stupid. Answer me. Are you okay? Say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. You gonna kill me? Are you two okay? You are making things worse. Are you two okay?”

The accused’s father said he received the call from her at about 17:10, and she sent messages to Chalita at 17:20:

“Why did you do this?” Challita responded: “Is the baby fine? You won’t tell me?” Amber Hughes: “You laughed at me. You made jokes. Enough.” That means she continued sending messages to Chalita after contacting her father.

The defence pleaded that the court consider Hughes’ version that she found Nada-Jane unresponsive.

“The accused’s version should not be found false. The accused mentioned that while Nada-Jane was bathing, she was on the phone and found her unresponsive. This version can be possible,” noted Ives.

Courtroom tension rises as Mulbarton child rape and murder trial unfolds

Emotions ran high when the accused’s and the victim’s families exchanged heated words inside the courtroom after the proceedings.

@southern.courierDisclaimer: Warning: The following report contains descriptions of intense emotional exchanges. Tensions flared in the Johannesburg High Court as Howard Hughes, father of the accused Amber Lee Hughes, and Elie Challita, father of the deceased four-year-old Nada-Jane Challita, engaged in a heated verbal confrontation during proceedings. The altercation occurred amidst the ongoing trial, where Amber Lee Hughes faces charges of rape and murder. The courtroom drama underscores the profound emotional stakes for both families involved in this tragic case. Judgment day is set for June 19.♬ original sound – Southern Courier

A video from the scene shows a woman, believed to be Nada-Jane’s mother, shouting at Amber, “Count your days, your days are numbered.”

Amber’s father, Howard, responded by accusing the woman of trying to sell her child and claiming to have proof.

She reacted by swearing and raising her hands. Chalita joined the argument. No physical contact occurred, and the families eventually separated.

ALSO READ: Father of rape and murder-accused describes chaotic scene in Mulbarton tragedy