In an almost empty courtroom at Newcastle Magistrate’s Court, a woman walked out of the holding cells and stood before Magistrate Kamlesh Gurlal. She quickly glanced to the side, catching sight of one of the few family members present to offer moral support.
On Monday, 22 September 2025, the Lennoxton mother who disembowelled her three-year-old daughter and injured her 10-year-old daughter officially appeared in court, facing two charges of attempted murder.
Nervousness etched across her face, she remained silent as her defence attorney, Zubair Chothia, and the State Prosecutor prepared to commence what was to be the official bail application.
The State emphasised that, given the gravity of the crime, it opposed the accused mother being granted bail while the trial was pending. Chothia did not contest this and instead informed the court that he wished to withdraw the bail application for his client in order to request a mental assessment before the matter proceeded further. “We would like to make use of a private psychiatrist who can then provide a report, which will be shared with my colleague for the State,” he explained.
“Do you understand what this means? Do you understand that your attorney is abandoning your bail application?” Magistrate Gurlal asked the woman, who nodded in acknowledgment.
Taking this into consideration, Magistrate Gurlal postponed the proceedings to Friday, 26 September 2025, when the defence must present a psychiatrist willing to conduct the assessment.
After the hearing, Chothia elaborated, “The mental assessment is permitted under Section 77 under the Criminal Procedures Act, as to establish if she was in her correct state of mind at the time of the crime.”
The mother’s name is being withheld in accordance with a court order.
For those not familiar with the case, the mother landed in court after allegedly attempting to disembowel her three-year-old daughter on 11 September 2025, leaving the child critically injured and also harming her 10-year-old daughter.
As reported by Newcastillian News, a construction worker who saw the older child running frantically intervened, breaking into the home to stop the attack and secure the knife until authorities arrived. The mother was arrested at the scene, and both injured children were rushed to hospital for treatment.
During questioning, she reportedly claimed that “the devil made her do it,” raising concerns about her mental state at the time of the alleged offences.
To read more, click here.
The case remains under close scrutiny as the court prepares to consider the defence’s psychiatric evaluation. With the mother facing two charges of attempted murder, the outcome of the assessment will be pivotal in determining her mental state at the time of the alleged offences and guiding the next steps in the legal process.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, and the community awaits the court’s decision.
Be sure to read, The Mkhwanazi Case: Allegations of Capture Could Make or Break SAPS, if you missed it.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Newcastle Mother Attempted Murder Case
Her defence attorney withdrew the bail application to pursue a psychiatric assessment to determine her mental state at the time of the alleged crime.
The assessment falls under Section 77 of the Criminal Procedure Act, used when the accused’s mental capacity at the time of the offence is in question.
She faces two counts of attempted murder for allegedly attacking her three-year-old and ten-year-old daughters.
The matter has been postponed to allow the defence to present a psychiatrist for the evaluation.
One Response
This is why Butokukan Dojo offers classes from the age of 4. You never truly know what danger you or you family coul be in at any moment and if we can offer this children even the slightest chance to be able to defend themselves, friends or siblings then we are proud.