Durban - Two women and a man who lured their victim under the pretence of a threesome but instead assaulted him with a hammer and robbed him, pleaded guilty in the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
They are also accused of stealing the victim’s car, phone, and his firearm with ammunition in Newlands West, Durban in 2019.
Rekha Singh and common-law husband and wife Syed Arif Kazmi and Gwendolene Leonara MacKenzie are charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances. They are accused of hitting the victim on the head and arms with a hammer, and throwing glass plates and other objects at him.
All three had their defence read out their plea statements in court. In her statement, Singh said she had met the complainant (victim) in 2018 at her place of employment in Overport, adding that they were communicating on WhatsApp messenger flirting and chatting now and again.
At the time Kazmi and MacKenzie were living with her and her two children.
“I was financially in debt at the time and needed cash to pay my monthly rental to which my co-accused 2 and 3 were in arrears with their portion. We came up with an elaborate scheme to rob the complainant for cash and his valuables. The plan would entail luring the complainant into my home on the pretext of offering a threesome or sexual encounter with accused 3 and myself. Once the unsuspecting complainant was in a compromising position with accused number 3, accused number 2 would enter the room and demand payment or rob the complainant of his valuables.”
Singh told the court that she was fearful and intimidated by Kazmi and could not demand rent nor did she have any control over what went on in her home “as I feared for my life and my two minor children”.
According to the accused’s statements, on the day of the incident the victim came to Singh’s home after it had been arranged, and she introduced MacKenzie and they all began drinking with the aim of getting the victim drunk enough to be able to rob him.
“While in the bedroom we began getting sexual and consumed more alcohol…He (complainant) allowed for his shirt to removed. Accused 3 was clad only in her underwear and bra. I also removed my top and was in my bra. While accused 3 was sitting on the complainant's lap I left the room to call accused 2.”
She said that Kazmi stormed into the bedroom and she could hear screaming, loud noises, and yells for help from the complainant.
“He (accused 2) struck the complainant on the back of his head and on the arms with a hammer.”
The victim at some stage managed to get away from the three and lock himself in the toilet and he was then locked in the house and left there until he was able to escape.
However, the court was unsatisfied with their guilty pleas and the trio is expected back in court in August for trial.
Singh is out on bail while Kazmi and MacKenzie have been in custody since 2019 following their arrests.
Daily News