Pathologist sheds light on last moments of Penny Cumming

Update

KNYSNA NEWS - A forensic pathologist shed light on the final moments of Plettenberg Bay hospice nurse Penny Cumming, as the trial against her alleged murderer and rapist got under way in the Knysna Circuit High Court over the past week.

Gcobani Lokwe, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, is accused of raping and killing the 63-year-old Schoongezicht Country Estate resident in January this year.

He was arrested on 30 January at his alleged hiding place near a school in Kwanokuthula, following the grisly discovery the previous day.

Cumming's naked and bruised body was found on the floor of her home by a friend. Her home was ransacked and her Volvo SUV missing. The partially destroyed vehicle was found near Nekkies in Knysna later that day.

It was later established that Cumming had also been raped and that the cause of death was strangulation.

Among the many witnesses that have been called to take the stand over the past two weeks includes forensic pathologist Dr Mariette Hurst, who testified about her autopsy findings.

She testified that Cumming had been raped before she was strangled and showed signs of blunt-force trauma to her face. She further said Cumming also had two broken ribs and a broken sternum and that she found Cumming had been bleeding from her nose and the inside of her lip.

Hurst also found that the strangulation was done by hands.

The matter was set down until Friday 30 November and is likely to continue in February next year. Lokwe is currently in custody after he was denied bail in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate's Court in February this year.

The incident sent shock waves through the Plettenberg Bay community, which led to several protests against his release on bail. A massive petition also formed part of the action, with 5 000 people throw their weight behind it.

The matter was subsequently transferred to the high court.

Read previous articles: