Honeymoon murder husband bailed

A British businessman wanted in South Africa over the murder of his bride on their honeymoon was yesterday granted bail, which his family’s spokesman said would allow him to continue to receive “bereavement counselling”.

South Africa wants to extradite 30-year-old Shrien Dewani on suspicion of paying to have his bride Anni killed in a carjacking in Cape Town.

The South African authorities were concerned that Mr Dewani would not appear at an extradition hearing in Britain later this month if he was allowed bail.

However, a judge at the High Court in London judge, Duncan Ouseley, disagreed yesterday and allowed his application.

Mr Dewani’s 28-year-old wife was shot dead on November 13 after the couple’s taxi was said to have been hijacked outside Cape Town.

In a South African court on Tuesday, taxi driver Zola Tongo said he was offered 15,000 rand ($2,175) by Mr Dewani to kill his wife.

Mr Tongo has already received a reduced sentence for murder as part of a plea bargain.

Mr Dewani, a care home owner, handed himself in to a police station in Bristol on Tuesday.

He appeared on Wednesday at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on an extradition warrant.

Mr Dewani strongly denies any involvement in the murder and told the hearing that he did not agree to the extradition.

He was granted bail but the South African authorities appealed, meaning he stayed in custody. He has been held at Wandsworth Prison in south London – the same jail where WikiLeaks website founder Julian Assange is currently awaiting the outcome of moves to extradite him to Sweden.