London – Honeymoon murder accused Shrien Dewani needs a year to recover from depression before facing extradition proceedings, a British court heard on Tuesday.

His lawyer Clare Montgomery told the Westminster Magistrate’s Court that the process had been hanging over her client like “the sword of Damocles” and he needed “a period of calm”, reported the British Press Association.

Dewani, 32, stands accused of plotting his wife Anni’s murder in Cape Town in November 2010.

He is being treated for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle adjourned the hearing to September 18 for a psychiatrist, employed by the South African government, to examine Dewani and give the court more information about his condition before making any other decision.

Montgomery said keeping Dewani under medical treatment in Britain for 12 months would speed up his recovery rather than jeopardise it by sending him to South Africa.

According to his psychiatrist, he was making a slow recovery, but one damaging factor was his “constant awareness of the court proceedings”, said Montgomery.

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