'ONE OF THE MOST HORRIFIC MURDERS'

THE murder of Nadine Esterhuizen allegedly committed by her estranged girlfriend, Corrine Jackson has been described as one of the most horrific murders in Mitchells Plain.

The pathologist testifying in the Mitchells Plain Regional Court murder trial yesterday revealed that pools of blood, a cup of blood and hair which was ripped out of the head were found at the scene - and that the attacker had tried to behead the victim.

This is the view of crime fighters and the Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum (CPF) who  bore witness to the gripping testimony of Forensic State Pathologist, Dr Varushka Bachan.

A second day on the witness stand, Bachan gave a chilling description of the crime scene, including that of the body while being armed with the photographs taken by her colleagues on the day of the murder on 27 September 2017.

Although she had not been at the crime scene and conducted the post mortem, the State asked her to give an expert opinion of the crime scene.

On Tuesday, Bachan gave a description of Esterhuizen’s injuries stating that she had seven gaping wounds to her head, and that her sternocleidomastoid muscle in the neck, which is the largest muscle in the neck had been cut and that the jugular vein was penetrated including defensive stab wounds to the hands and arms.

Esterhuizen was 18 and in matric at the time of the murder.

Dr Bachan said by demonstrating by moving her head in a bending position, that the killer had to be higher than the victim, in order to inflict the wounds to the back of the neck and thyroid, wanting to behead her.

The court was left reeling when she described Esterhuizen’s body found in the corner of the kitchen, lying in a pool of blood and held the photographs to bear testimony.

She said that the mass of blood loss was in that corner and that was where fatality had been with the face covered in dried blood.

When asked what could have caused the death, she said the perforating of the internal jugular vein and that her eyes and mouth had been open.

“The mechanism of death being catastrophic blood loss,” she stated.

The State asked what the pictures suggested: “That she was able to give a defensive stance.”

Next she described the clumps and strands of hair found on the kitchen floor and some which had fallen onto Esterhuizen’s hand possibly while defending herself from the head wound, stating that the hair had been ripped and torn out as opposed to being cut.

She added that at least one wound, that to the left upper arm, was done post-mortem and that she had been stabbed 21 times.

Linda Jones, Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Mitchells Plain CPF said they felt so much emotion listening to the testimony.

“She is a heartless killer," said Jones.

“We have seen many crime scenes in Mitchell’s Plain, many shootings, faces being shot away, but the description of this crime scene, is beyond anyone’s imagination.”

The trial has been postponed to 4 and 5 November for Jackson’s legal team to gain an expert witness’ opinion on the evidence led by the pathologist on the blood splatter.