Zim man accused of abduction 'was being friendly'

Zim man accused of abduction 'was being friendly'

CARDIFF Crown Court

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By Staff Reporter

A ZIMBABWEAN man accused of trying to abduct a toddler from a busy shopping mall in Cardiff, Wales, has told a court it was an "African thing" to be friendly to children.

Mthokozisi Zondo who came to Britain as an asylum seeker denies attempted abduction saying he only said hello to the two-year-old girl and shook her hand.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that the mother, who cannot be identified, was shopping for jewellery in the Argos store in Cardiff when she noticed Mr Zondo talking to her child and allegedly taking her by the hand.

She described how she dragged her "screaming" child away, following a "tug-of-war" with Mr Zondo, who she said smiled throughout the alleged incident.

I was just being friendly - God is my witness

Mthokozisi Zondo

The mother said she was "numb" after Mr Zondo left the city centre store.

But Mr Zondo said that he had not intended to abduct the child and was being friendly with her in line with what he claimed were African customs.

He told the court on Wednesday: "I was heading towards the exit when I walked past her.

"I just bent down and said 'hello, hello, hello' and I shook her hand.

He said it was characteristic of Africans to be friendly to children, adding: "Whenever I hear anything about child abuse it hurts me because I have a son of my own."

The girl's mother had told jurors she heard Mr Zondo whispering to her daughter "Come on, come on".

She said that when Mr Zondo grabbed her daughter's wrist, she tried to pull her child from him.

"I grabbed her other arm," she said. "I could feel him pulling her and tugging her."

She said she pulled the "screaming" child towards her and said she felt "numb" and "shocked".

She added that the defendant did not say anything to her during the alleged incident on 12 February this year.

"He just looked at me. He kept smiling," she told the court.

Under cross examination by Ieuan Rees, defending, the mother denied Mr Zondo had said "Hello, hello", to the child and insisted it was "come on".

The mother's aunt, who also cannot be named, told the court: "He had hold of one arm and she had hold of the other arm. It was like a tug of war."

The trial continues.
Additional reporting by BBC
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