SA man who admitted to killing wife in Australia awaits his fate

A psychologist's report is likely to shed light on what lead a former South African accountant to bludgeon his wife to death and bury her in their backyard in Perth, Australia.

Via a video link from his Hakea prison cell, Ahmed Dawood Seedat, originally from Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal, admitted to killing Fahima Yusuf, his British-born wife and the mother of his two children.

Seedat, 36, who was charged with murder in September last year, admitted to the Stirling Gardens Magistrate’s Court in Perth on Wednesday that he had committed the murder on August 31.

After the killing, Seedat lived a normal life with his children, aged two and five, who were unaware their mother was buried in the back yard. It was only when Yusuf’s father could not reach her for four days, that he raised the alarm and police started investigations.

Police dug a hole on the side of the home‚ not far from where the children’s toys were kept, and found the 32-year old woman’s body in a shallow grave of their Perth home in western Australia.

A spanner‚ the alleged murder weapon‚ was recovered from a bin at the home.

A court representative said: "I can confirm that Ahmed Seedat appeared in the Stirling Gardens Magistrate’s Court on January 30. He pleaded guilty to one count of murder and was remanded in custody to the Supreme Court on May 8 ...

"It is standard practice that the accused appear via video link for some matters. He will have to enter his plea in the supreme court." 

The couple’s two children, according to Australian media, were attending school and "carrying on with life as normal".

Defence lawyer Jonathan Davies requested a psychological report be compiled on Seedat, reportedly telling the court there had been "complex matters in the background of the relationship".

The report, which could affect sentencing, will be prepared ahead of Seedat's next appearance on May 8.

Australian media reported that Seedat faced unrelated charges for allegedly fleecing some of his clients of more than AUS$6m.

He is alleged to have stolen money from more than 20 people, which they had deposited into accounts linked to him to invest on their behalf.

Clients reported their concerns about missing funds to police after Seedat was charged with Yusuf’s murder.

A distant cousin from Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal said at the time of his arrest that Seedat had left the town after finishing school. He later emigrated.