Killer shrink heading back to SA

Colin Bouwer‚ a South African psychiatrist who killed his wife in New Zealand‚ will be deported to South Africa in just over a month.

He was granted parole after serving almost 17 years in prison in Christchurch for murdering Annette Bouwer with a lethal dose of blood sugar medication to make it seem like she had developed a tumour in her pancreas.

The Sowetan reported at the time of the trial in 2001 that New Zealand authorities claimed Bouwer‚ who immigrated to New Zealand‚ murdered his wife so he could benefit from a NZ$ 262 000 insurance payout‚ equivalent to about R1 million.

It was also claimed that he had killed her so he could continue his affair with a fellow psychiatrist.

In a bizarre twist his son‚ also Colin Bouwer‚ was found guilty of murdering his wife in 2003 in Johannesburg. His accomplice? His mother‚ Mariette Kruger‚ who was previously married to Bouwer senior.

During his murder trial Bouwer senior reportedly told police that the drugs were meant for him. He claimed he wanted to commit suicide because his wife was ill‚ which left him depressed.

His lawyer David More told TimesLIVE on Monday that he had since claimed that he killed his wife in an “assisted suicide”.

“He said his wife was suffering from an undiagnosed illness and they had an arrangement that if either one of them wanted to die the other would assist‚” said More.

He said his family in South Africa were making arrangements for his return but he would not say which family members.

“He would prefer to stay in New Zealand because he has a son in here but he accepts the decision that he has to go back‚” said More.

His parole conditions state that he may never return to New Zealand.

“The parole board made an order (on Monday) that he be granted parole and that was made on the basis that he no longer poses a risk to the community‚ in this case South Africa‚” said More.

He said he did not know where Bouwer would live in South Africa‚ only that he would leave Christchurch airport on October 11.

Bouwer had permanent residency in New Zealand but a deportation order was granted at the time of his conviction in 2001. More said he had written a letter a few months ago to have the order withdrawn “based on humanitarian grounds” relating to his deteriorating health.

The request was declined.