Great Denham tragedies: Police update after mum and daughters fund dead in Bedfordshire home

The bodies of Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and daughters Natalie, 15, and five-year-old Nala were discovered in Great Denham, Bedfordshire, last week

A mother and her two daughters were discovered at their home in Great Denham, Bedfordshire, last week after they died as a result of blunt force trauma, a post-mortem examination has found.

Police officers say Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and daughters Natalie, 15, and five-year-old Nala were found dead on Monday, July 6. It came after concerns were raised about their welfare after they had not been seen for several days.

Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma has now been charged with three counts of murder following the death of his wife and two daughters, the Mirror reports.

The 45-year-old, also known as Mark, was arrested in Kensington, Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday. He is said to have fled the country two days before the bodies were discovered.

On Monday, Bedfordshire Police confirmed blunt-force trauma was listed as the cause of death as Tshuma, a British citizen of Zimbabwean heritage, appeared in court in South Africa. He was remanded in custody when he appeared before Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court, the Mirror reports.

Work is now underway to get Tshuma brought back to the UK, police say. Detective Inspector Lee Martin, senior investigating officer, said: “This case has attracted a huge amount of media coverage and we aware of international reports circulating which contain some speculation about this case.

“With three murder charges authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service, proceedings around this case remain active and we are not able to provide any further detail at this stage.

“We continue to work with the CPS and international partners as the case progresses.”

The South African Police Service said Tshuma was tracked down and arrested following a “swift operational co-ordination and intelligence-led policing”.

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