Dewani ‘wanted out of marriage’

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South African police want to extradite Shrien Dewani, 31, from Bristol, for his alleged role in the death of his wife Anni

An extradition hearing has been told a man accused of ordering his wife’s murder on their honeymoon “needed a way out” of the marriage.

A barrister for the South African government said a witness had spoken of two meetings with Shrien Dewani, 31.

The South African authorities want to extradite Mr Dewani, from Bristol, to face charges.

His bride, Anni, 28, was shot when the couple’s taxi was apparently hijacked in Cape Town last November.

The hearing, at Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court in south-east London, was told that the witness recalled having met the care home owner in September 2009.

Then in April 2010, Mr Dewani is said to have told him he was about to be engaged and how he “had to get married”.

He is alleged to have said she was a nice, lovely girl whom he liked, but he could not break out of the engagement because he would be disowned by his family and “he needed to find a way out of it.”

Bullet in neck

Mr Dewani, who denies any wrongdoing, is on bail but is being held at a mental health hospital in Bristol.

Mrs Dewani was found dead in the back of the abandoned vehicle with a bullet wound to her neck, after the hijacking.

Taxi driver Zola Tongo had taken the newlyweds to the deprived township.

Tongo originally claimed his vehicle was held up and he and Dewani were ejected before Mrs Dewani was driven away and killed.

But in a plea bargain later, the taxi driver – who was jailed for 18 years for admitting his role in the murder – claimed Mr Dewani offered him cash to arrange the killing.

Mr Dewani is said to be suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

The three-day extradition hearing is to be split into two parts, with further time allowed for a psychiatric report on Mr Dewani to be carried out.