A specialist psychiatrist says 23-year-old Durban man Uveer Jaganath was in a cannabis and cocaine-induced psychotic state when he fatally stabbed his mother more than 27 times in May 2021.
Dr Mahomed Salduker said this affected his behaviour and ability to make rational decisions at the time of the incident.
“In this drug-induced dissociative or psychotic state he would not have been able to fully appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions,” Salduker.
He was testifying at Jaganath's murder trial in the Durban magistrate’s court on Wednesday.
Two kitchen knives were found at the scene at the Clare Estate home when police arrived.
Salduker said there was significant use of cannabis and cocaine 12 to 18 months before the stabbing.
“He was using cocaine, cannabis and benzodiazepines on a fairly regular basis for an extended period. He had started using cannabis at the age of 16 while in high school and later progressed to cocaine,” said Salduker.
He said the early use of cannabis was known to affect the development of the brain, particularly in adolescents, as it interferes with the neurogenesis, synaptogenesis and neuroplasticity, all vital to cognitive function.
Jaganath, out on R20,000 bail, has pleaded not guilty to the murder and is represented by senior counsel Paddy Prior.
Salduker said there was no history of excessive violent behaviour or loss of control, nor was there any history of a conduct disorder as a child to suggest the presence of antisocial personality disorder in adulthood.
“His father provided collateral that Jaganath was closer to his mother in terms of family dynamics at home.”
He also corroborated the absence of any history of violent behaviour before the incident.
The court heard how Jaganath had been a competitive swimmer who was on a scholarship at an elite boys’ high school west of Durban, where he represented the school at provincial and national levels.
Despite his glowing sporting records, Jaganath was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which led to him being prescribed methylphenidate, a central nervous stimulant.
However, a high school altercation led to him being removed from the swimming team and losing his scholarship.
Salduker told the court Jaganath then became depressed and starting using cannabis.
He was described as an average pupil and went to Varsity College after matric.
He changed to a commerce course in 2020 and passed eight out of 10 courses.
On May 6, a day before his birthday, Jaganath went to the mall to go shopping for clothes with his mother and girlfriend. After shopping they went home and Jaganath went to varsity, where he met friends.
At campus he decided not to attend classes but instead smoked three to four grams of cocaine as well as three joints of cannabis.
The doctor said Jaganath recalled getting into an argument with his mother as she suspected he was taking drugs after she found cigarettes in his bag while he showered.
The next recollection he had was being told by his grandfather, who was present in the house, that his mother had been injured, and he also recalled seeing blood and having a knife injury.
He remembered messaging his father Avesh, then being in an ambulance.
When cross-examined by senior state prosecutor Krishen Shah, Jaganath said one of his primary schoolteachers approached his parents about his behaviour.
This led to him being diagnosed with ADHD, which forced him to take medication to treat the condition. However, being a competitive swimmer, he had to stop the medication.
He said after his mother's death he had stopped taking drugs.
Jaganath was also questioned about a burglary at their home in the days leading to his mother’s death.
“The break-in you refer to happened about November or December of the previous year, where I was held at gunpoint,” he said.
He said on the day of his mother’s murder he did not recall being assessed by nurses or paramedics.
He also did not recall two police officers who fetched him from the hospital and took him to the police station, or whether they asked him about the stabbing of his mother or if he was suicidal after his arrest.
Jaganath maintained his mother’s death had taken a toll on him.
“Not a day goes by without me missing my mother,” said Jaganath.
The trial is continuing.
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