Son who 'stabbed' mother 26 times: 'manipulative and deceitful'

Claims to have no memory of incident because of drug use

- NADIA KHAN

A SPECIALIST psychiatrist told the Durban Regional Court that Uveer Jaganath, accused of stabbing his mother 26 times, showed “inconsistent” behaviour and “manipulative” tendencies during assessment.

The 24-year-old is accused of stabbing and killing his mother, Jessica Jaganath, 43, at their Clare Estate home on May 6, 2021.

He claimed he had no memory of the incident due to drug use, but the psychiatrist testified there was nothing to suggest he was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions.

On Monday, Dr Mahomed Shaquir Salduker, a psychiatrist who gave evidence for the defence, said he had conducted a clinical assessment on Jaganath.

He said he had done two single photon emission computed tomography (Spect) scans on Jaganath.

He said the scan was a tool used to show the functioning of the brain.

Salduker said the first scan revealed that Jaganath had shown some damage to the frontal lobe, synonymous with the use of drugs.

However, a second Spect scan showed significant improvement, he said.

The State, represented by senior advocate Krishen Shah, whose application to reopen its case was granted, called Dr Ahlem Houidi, a specialist psychiatrist at Fort Napier Hospital, to give evidence.

She said she conducted four interviews with Jaganath between January and February 2022.

Houidi said during the interviews, she did an assessment on Jaganath and there was nothing to suggest that at the time of the incident he had any mental illness to make him unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions.