Soap opera star Gregg Pettigrew accused of shooting and killing his boyfriend in bed
A South African actor is alleged to have killed his lover in a domestic violence incident.
The Getroud met Rugby soap star, Gregg Pettigrew, 51, is accused of shooting Dean Jaren, 29, at his home close to Johannesburg on 13 April.
Pettigrew is believed to have attempted to die by suicide but the landlord called the police who took him to hospital.
Colonel Barbara-Anne Ferreira told News24 they found a dead man at the scene.
“The other male was still in the bed, next to the male, and he had a firearm in his hand. We noticed that there were tablets. He drank an overdose of tablets,” she said.
Pettigrew was meant to appear in court on Monday (17 April) but the hearing was postponed as he is still in hospital.
Ferreira said he had be charged with murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Getroud met Rugby actor Pettigrew has performed shows as his drag alter ego, Falicity Spitfire, and appeared in a 2020 episode of the cooking reality show Come Dine Me South Africa, which he won.
This isn’t Pettigrew’s first run-in with the law.
Between 2008 and 2009 Pettigrew, then known as Gregg Wiggill, and his partner at the time, John, an Australian citizen, were charged with fraud.
They were arrested and initially denied the right to marry by the Department of Correctional Services while awaiting trial.
After being released on bail, they went on the run but were later were rearrested.
Gregg Pettigrew was convicted and given a suspended jail sentence. His partner was found not guilty but was placed in a repatriation centre, having outstayed his visa. It’s there that the couple married in 2014. It’s believed they divorced in 2020, which is when Pettigrew started dating Dean Jaren.
A recent study conducted by the Journal of Lesbian and Gay Social Services found a rise in domestic violence in same-sex relationships following the pandemic.
If you or anyone you know is in a similar situation, you can contact Galop on 0800 999 5428.
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