Shrien Dewani: From dream wedding to nightmare honeymoon

The case against Shrien Dewani, the British businessman accused of plotting the murder of his Swedish bride on their South African honeymoon, has been dismissed by a judge in Cape Town.

It was supposed to be the dream wedding. Millionaire Shrien Dewani married Anni in a lavish ceremony in Mumbai. And to follow the dream wedding was the dream honeymoon.

But Cape Town would turn out to be their worst nightmare.

The events of 13 November 2010 would end with Anni dead after being shot in the neck in the back of a taxi and Shrien's life turned upside down.

But the wheels of what happened that night were put in motion days before. Zolo Tonga, a taxi driver who operated an airport shuttle service, picked up the pair and took them to the Cape Grace hotel.

On the way, he offered to act as their tour guide and show them around. It was an offer that Mr Dewani would take up with fatal consequences.

During the subsequent trial, the short marriage between the Dewanis would come under the microscope.

The court case revealed that Mr Dewani was bisexual and had been seeing a German male prostitute before his marriage.

But intimate messages between the married couple were also laid bare in court.

As both pulled up at the Cape Grace hotel they were a picture of happiness, but behind the scenes there was tension, as well as love.

In one sequence of messages, the couple appeared to engage in coded sexual conversation using Blackberry Messenger, referring to each other's genitals as Fred and Wilma.

But in other messages Mrs Dewani accused her husband of wanting to get out of the marriage. Mr Dewani replies: "I love you. You know that."

4 November: Anni says to Shrien "Thinking of Fred" before telling him she's "eating at Nando's, mmmm". The pair also discuss buying a bed from a shop at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol.

But, later in the day, the pair argue on email with Anni saying "You did say if u saw in chrystal (sic) ball how this marriage would been like then you wouldn't got married".

Shrien replies in the early hours of the next morning that he "did NOT say I regret things".

5 November: Anni says she "can't even sleep at nights" and asks "seriously do you want me to leave you?"

She then says: "I don't want an insecure man or a man that feelings doesn't come natural that you have to force yourself." She adds "I am ready to pack and leave and this is not a joke".

Anni tells Shrien he "can't keep any surprise" after finding out their honeymoon will be in South Africa.

(BBC)

ANN.Az