The trial of a 57-year-old man accused of torching to death his wife and four children will continue on Wednesday in the High Court in Durban.
It is alleged that in 2021, Kista Chetty set alight his wife Elisha Naidoo, his 13-year-old daughter and three sons.
Chetty is charged with five counts of murder, six counts of attempted murder, and arson.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The incident took place in Phoenix. At the time of the incident, the family lived in a room they rented on Chetty’s brother-in-law’s property.
Chetty’s brother-in-law, Deon Naidoo, has already testified to the details of the incident that claimed the life of his sister and her four children. The court heard how the house was set alight, allegedly by Chetty. Naidoo, however, told the court that he and Chetty attempted to rescue his sister and her children but could not get through because of the burglar bars.
In his plea statement, read out in court through his attorney, Chetty claims he started the fire in an attempt to commit suicide after a heated argument with his brother-in-law and wife. He claims that he doused himself with petrol and set himself alight. He then went on to explain that he removed his clothes, which had caught on fire, and threw them off. Chetty claims that this is what spread the fire through the house. He further claims he tried to warn his wife and children to evacuate.
Accused in Kidstone Place family tragedy heads to Durban High Court. 57-year-old man facing charges of wife and children’s death by fire. Legal proceedings continue Tuesday. #DurbanHighCourt #FamilyTragedy https://t.co/9Qs1oAvnOH
— SABC News (@SABCNews) August 22, 2023
