WINDHOEK – The man who wanted to plead guilty to a murder and attempted murder charge during criminal case management got a new trial date and Legal Aid (LA) lawyer.
Petrus Friedel Kobus Frederick was informed by Judge Alfred Siboleka during his last court appearance on Monday that his trial will start on August 18 next year and is set down until August 29.
It is highly unlikely that Frederick’s trial will take that long as he already indicated to Judge President Petrus Damaseb during a criminal case management appearance that he intends to plead guilty to the charges against him. The State through Deputy Prosecutor General Antonia Verhoef, however, informed Damaseb that she will not accept a guilty plea as there are indications that Frederick will claim self defence on the attempted murder charge.
The Judge President allocated the matter to Judge Siboleka, but at the supposed date for the fixing of a trial date, Frederick suffered another blow as his Legal Shield appointed lawyer, Braam Cupido, had to withdraw after the insurance giant refused further to pay for his services.
At the time Frederick bitterly complained to Judge Siboleka saying “I’ve been paying my installments to Legal Shield diligently for a lot of years and now that I need them they desert me.”
On Monday this week, Judge Siboleka was informed that Mese Tjituri was confirmed by the Legal Aid as the state sponsored lawyer for Frederick.
Tjituri informed the judge that he was provided with disclosure, but will need some time to go through the docket t and consult with his client. The judge granted Tjituri a remand until August next year for plea and trial.
The murder charge Frederick faces is that he killed Bonaventura Skeyer, an adult female with whom he was in a perceived romantic relationship, at Rosh Pinah in the Karas Region on February 26 2012.
It is alleged that the deceased and Frederick got involved in an argument and that he stabbed Skeyer at least 27 times with a knife/knives all over her body.
Skeyer died at the scene of the stabbing due to blood loss caused by the multiple stab wound to her neck and chest area.
In the second count it is alleged that Frederick assaulted Rachid Chanick Klukowski by hitting, kicking and beating him on his head and body and breaking his clavicle and forearm on December 03 2011 also at Rosh Pinah.
It is alleged that Frederick wanted to know from Klukowski where his (Frederick’s) daughter was and attacked Klukowski with the intention to kill him. Klukowski allegedly lost consciousness and was removed from the scene and taken for medical treatment.
By Roland Routh