This emerged during the bail hearing of her former gardener, Olwethu Mathiso, in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court yesterday.

The body of Tutu's domestic worker, Angela Machinga, was found on the bedroom floor of Tutu's Milnerton home on April 12. She had been strangled.

Tutu is the youngest of the archbishop's children.

She co-authored a book about her father's life, The Authorised Portrait, with veteran journalist Allister Sparks.

Investigating officer Constable Thabo Mwanda told the court that the murder had devastated Tutu to the extent that she could no longer sleep at her home.

Police arrested Mathiso, 21, on May 29 after fingerprints left on Tutu's cosmetics bag linked him to the crime scene.

He asked the court for bail so that he could find work to help his sickly mother.

He said he would plead not guilty to the charges, adding that the only time he entered Tutu's house was to replace bulbs and repair cracks. He said he quit his job because his employer was not satisfied with his work.

"She used to tell me that I was not doing a good job and at times she would ask me to leave before the end of the shift and the money I got was not enough," said Mathiso.

"I left the job and went to work elsewhere. I didn't inform her."

Mwanda said that, according to fingerprint experts, Mathiso was not alone when the crime was committed.

He said the other suspects were yet to be arrested.

Mwanda said Mathiso did not hand over the keys to Tutu's house when he quit his job.

He also revealed that only Tutu's laptop and Machinga's cellphone were stolen. A glove found on the scene had been sent for DNA tests, he said.

The state is opposing bail. The bail application has been postponed to June 6.