A paramedic has revealed shocking details of the state of slain Yeshni Kuni, who was allegedly set alight and murdered by her boyfriend at their Burgundy Estate home.
Darren Kershaw, 39, pleaded not guilty on charges of murder and arson at the Western Cape High Court for the events that led up to the death of his 33-year-old girlfriend on Women’s Day six years ago.
Addressing the court Marelize Wilmot, from SA Paramedic Services, said that she attended the crime scene on 9 August 2017.
She says upon arrival, she and her partner found Yeshni sitting on a chair outside her home holding her arms up as she had suffered both second and third degree burns, while a crowd started to gather.
Wilmot said her partner, along with firefighters, started using a burn shield to soothe the victim’s skin which had already started forming blisters, while her clothes had melted into her skin
Wilmot said she could recall the smell of Yeshni’s burnt flesh as she successfully connected an intravenous drip to her foot, which was the only location on her body that was not burnt.
On the instruction of her partner, Wilmot sought to find any other injured mense and to source more information about the incident so they could provide adequate medical care and that was when she was directed to Kershaw.
“I introduced myself and asked if he needed help or was injured and he told me he is fine. I asked if he could please tell me what happened and he said the heater exploded.”
A firefighter then took her inside the couple’s home where she found the heater still intact.
“It was extremely dark inside and the only light was from torches used by the firefighters.
“Inside I could see two sofas that had been burnt and there was a gas heater that was intact.
“I also saw a melted canister,” she explained, pointing to it in the crime scene pictures.
The state alleges that Kershaw doused Yeshni with bio-ethanol fuel as she sat in the lounge and set her alight.
Wilmot said the victim’s injuries were not consistent with a heater exploding: “If a gas heater had exploded, there would have been shrapnel.
“There would have been bleeding and the metal would have been lodged in her skin.”
Kershaw’s lawyer asked for time to consult, saying the majority of the testimony was not contained in the initial statement.
The trial continues.