The East London high court on Tuesday heard how Angelique Clarke-Abrahams did everything in her power to leave her abusive husband Carl Abrahams, but it was too late; she died — allegedly at his hands.
The details surrounding Clark-Abrahams’s death were revealed before the court in a calm testimony from Clarke-Abrahams’s mother, Maria Clarke, two years after her death.
Abrahams was “jealous and obsessed” with the deceased.
Clarke-Abrahams died in September 2019, after succumbing to injuries after she was badly beaten, allegedly by Abrahams, during Women’s Month.
Abrahams was charged with rape and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and later charged with murder after she died, DispatchLIVE reported.
Four days after she was hospitalised after allegedly suffering a beating at the hands of her husband, Clarke-Abrahams, then 25, applied for a protection order against Abrahams on August 20 2019.
The same day, Clarke-Abrahams applied for a divorce.
Clarke’s attorney, Nickie Turner, said an interim protection order had been granted.
On August 22 2019, Clarke-Abrahams laid a charge against Abrahams, claiming he had again choked her and taken her cellphone.
Turner said Clarke-Abrahams was admitted to Empilweni Gompo Health Care [centre], then Frere Hospital and lastly Cecilia Makiwane Hospital (CMH) on August 29 2019 — which was a Thursday — after being beaten, allegedly by Abrahams.
Angelique died at about 8am on September 3 2019.
Clarke said she had visited Clarke-Abrahams every day in hospital from August 29 but she never regained consciousness.
Clark-Abrahams and her husband lived with Clarke from early 2018 until July 2019.
The court heard that Abrahams was often aggressive..
Clarke recalled one of the last memories she had of her daughter.
“[On the morning of August 29 at Empilweni] her mouth was bleeding and I could see she had marks around her neck,” Clarke said.
She explained how Clarke-Abrahams had clenched her fist and moved her arm up and down.
“I asked the doctor why that was happening and I was told that happens when there is damage to the brain.
“She was also making funny noises from her throat. A terrible noise,” Clarke said.
Clarke-Abrahams was then moved by ambulance from Empilweni to Frere, and from Frere to CMH.
Clarke visited her at each hospital.
Aldridge Meek, a witness married to Clarke-Abrahams’s cousin, told the court he had received a voice call on Facebook Messenger from Abrahams on August 29 2019.
Meek said he recognised the accused’s voice when he had the call on loudspeaker in his wife’s presence, and that Abrahams’s name had appeared on the screen when the call came in.
“He would not say where he was. I advised him to hand himself over to the police. He said he needed to clear his head because he did not know what he had done at the time.
“I asked him what he had done. He said he didn’t physically hit Angelique, he just choked her. That’s what he told me,” Meek said.
Turner asked Meek if Abrahams sounded as if he was under duress when making the call.
“Surprisingly, it was a normal conversation,” Meek said.
“If I would have spoken to him the day before, he would have had the same tone of voice,” Meek said.
When asked if he had told anyone of the phone call, Meek said he told the deceased’s family but was unsure if Clarke was present at the time.
Botha said Meek only made a formal statement to the police on April 12 2021 — two years later.
Meek said he had been waiting for the “inspector” [of the case] to come to him.
Botha said: “I am putting it to you respectfully that the version you are now coming up with is a fabrication that is why it is so late — two years after the event. It is because you are family of the deceased.”
Botha said according to Abrahams the conversation did not happen and that Meek was trying to “unnecessarily” burden the case of the accused.
Meek maintained that the call had taken place.
DispatchLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.