adminPamela Shumba Senior Reporter
THE inquest into the death of Robert Wood, who was found hanged at his rented home two years ago, continued yesterday with his mistress’s grandmother Esnath Moyo professing ignorance about a will that was left by the former British Special Air Services (SAS) soldier. Wood, 54, who ran a lucrative goldmine just outside Bulawayo, was found hanging in the spare bedroom of a Four Winds house that he rented with his mistress, Gugulethu Henrietta Dube, on the morning of March 9, 2012.
Dube previously claimed in court that she discovered a will among Wood’s documents in South Africa and said her grandmother, Moyo, was a signatory to many of Wood’s documents, including his will.
Yesterday, Moyo told the court that she knew Wood as her granddaughter’s boyfriend, but added that she did not know anything about the contested will that gives Dube most shares in Wood’s estate.
She, however, admitted that Dube and Wood made her sign many of the former British soldier’s documents, the majority of them on mining claims.
Moyo testified that she did not have knowledge of the paper’s contents.
“Wood was my granddaughter’s boyfriend. I used to sign most of his documents without necessarily going through them. I, however, do not know anything about the will in question,” she said.
Asked by prosecutor Jeremiah Mutsindikwa why she was made to sign Wood’s documents, Moyo said the couple trusted her as an elderly person.
Moyo was shown a photocopy of the will and she said it was her first time to see it. She could not identify her purported signature on it, saying it was faint.
Magistrate Enias Magate adjourned the hearing to Thursday when an original copy of the will is expected to be produced before Moyo can testify whether or not the signature it bears is hers.
Dr Sanganai Pesanai, who examined Wood’s body, also told the court during cross examination that Wood could have died of asphyxia, hanging or suicide.
He said the belt around the body’s neck was very tight.
“I examined Wood’s body on March 12, 2012 at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH). As a result of the foregoing examination, I am of the opinion that the cause of the death was asphyxia, hanging or suicide,” said Dr Pesanai.
Asked by Mutsindikwa if it was normal for Wood’s body to bleed from the private parts, Dr Pesanai said that was a possibility.
“The bleeding was due to small vessels around the testicles that had ruptured. This occurs, especially due to hanging, small vessels burst on their own. Violent checking could also be the cause of the bursting of vessels.”
Also testifying, Detective Sergeant Soul Utete told the court that he attended the scene and observed that Wood was hanging from the burglar bar of a spare bedroom window.
“He was naked, save for a blood stained pair of boxer shorts. A belt was used to suspend the body, whose right foot was supported by the bed while the left foot was hanging,” he said.
The inquest continues on Thursday.
Online Reporter