Former Blue Bulls rugby player Joseph Phindile Ntshongwana is delusional, a mental health practioner has testified.
|||Durban - Former Blue Bulls rugby player Joseph Phindile Ntshongwana is delusional, the Durban High Court heard on Wednesday.
Psychologist Abubuker Gangat told the court he had diagnosed Ntshongwana with delusional disorder after an examination last year.
Gangat said a person with the disorder could become violent, aggressive and suicidal, and suffered from hallucinations.
Ntshongwana believed people were out to get him, that he was being followed, and that someone wanted to harm him.
He appeared to be stressed by fears of being poisoned or killed, Gangat said.
Ntshongwana is charged with hacking four people to death with an axe.
He allegedly killed Thembelenkosini Cebekhulu in Montclair on March 20, 2011, Paulos Hlongwa two days later, Simon Ngidi the following day, and an unidentified man sometime that week.
He is accused of kidnapping and raping a woman on November 28, 2010 and faces a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
He also faces two charges of attempted murder.
He has pleaded not guilty.
After examining Ntshongwana, Gangat found he could not accurately recall events, and had no appreciation of his mental illness.
The court heard that Ntshongwana was first diagnosed with a mental illness in 2009, and was treated as a psychotic patient.
Such a person had disturbed thinking and perception, and could experience delusions and hallucinations.
Psychotic people could become aggressive, they lacked insight, and could not distinguish between hallucinations and the real world.
Gangat said when he examined Ntshongwana last Friday, he asked him if he remembered an incident where he killed someone; he said he could not remember.
He said Ntshongwana also could not remember his first mental breakdown, which happened in 2009. Instead he talked about unrelated events.
"It appears he was having delusions," Gangat said.
When asked by Nthshongwana's lawyer Themba Mjoli if his client was aware of his actions when he committed the alleged offences, as the State's case was that he knew what he was doing and tried to conceal evidence.
Gangat said it was unlikely that Ntshongwana could conceal evidence, because he had a disturbed thinking process.
He said if someone was acting during a delusional state they could not act rationally or hide evidence, because their judgment was impaired.
Gangat said that Ntshongwana must have been beset with delusions at the time of the alleged murders in March 2011.
He said Ntshongwana must have had a psychotic breakdown.
Ntshongwana had visited various hospitals since 2009 for treatment for his mental illness.
The State will cross-examine Gangat on September 30. - Sapa