A 25-year-old man has been convicted of murdering his mother in a brutal attack at their home in Clare Estate, Durban, in May 2021. Uveer Jaganath was found guilty by Durban Regional Court magistrate Sophie Reddy after a trial that heard evidence of his actions before and after the murder. Reddy rejected Jaganath's defense that he had been in a drug-induced dissociative or psychotic state when he killed his mother, Jessica Jaganath, 44.
According to the court, Jaganath had consumed cocaine and cannabis on the day of the murder, hours before he killed his mother. He had met a friend at Varsity College, where he was a third-year student, and then returned home. His mother had confronted him about cigarettes she had found in his bag, leading to a heated argument. Jaganath had messaged his father about the argument, but his father's response did not deter him from committing the crime.
The court heard that Jaganath's mother had taken him and his then-girlfriend to a shopping mall to buy a dress for his girlfriend to wear at his birthday dinner planned for the next evening. Partially wrapped gifts and a birthday greeting card were found on the bed in the room where his mother was killed. Reddy found that Jaganath's actions before and after the murder showed that he knew exactly what he was doing.
The post-mortem examination found 27 penetrating incised wounds on Jessica Jaganath's body, some on her neck, chest, and abdomen. The forensic pathologist testified that the wounds were likely inflicted within a narrow period of time. Reddy described Jaganath's actions as "entirely hostile and cold-blooded" and found that he had shown "a clear awareness of what he was doing".
Jaganath's defense had claimed that he had no memory of the murder and that his mother had actually stabbed him. However, Reddy rejected this claim, finding that Jaganath's actions were "focused and goal-directed". The court ultimately rejected the defense's claims of criminal incapacity, finding that Jaganath had caused the death of his mother beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jaganath remained largely emotionless during the judgment, but his composure broke when Reddy revoked his bail. He turned towards the gallery and mouthed to his current girlfriend: "I can’t do this." He began shaking and was later heard sobbing loudly from the holding cells as he consulted with his lawyer. Outside court, his father paced anxiously.
Jaganath is due back in court in November for the probation officer’s report, which will be considered before he is sentenced. Reddy directed both the State and defense to prepare for the possibility that she could impose a sentence exceeding the prescribed minimum of 15 years. The family, including Jaganath's younger brother, who was in matric at the time of the murder, and his paternal grandfather, will have to wait for the sentencing.
Key points
- Uveer Jaganath, 25, convicted of murdering his mother, Jessica Jaganath, 44.
- The court rejected Jaganath's defense that he had been in a drug-induced dissociative or psychotic state when he killed his mother.
- Jaganath faces a possible sentence exceeding the prescribed minimum of 15 years.
