WINDHOEK – The Gobabis resident who admitted he killed the mother of his three children by stabbing her at least 16 times in a frenzied knife attack is expected to be sentenced today by Windhoek High Court Judge Dinnah Usiku at the High Court situated at the Windhoek Correctional Facility.
Jacob Hoxobeb admitted he killed his girlfriend Anastancia Goagoses with a knife because he suspected her of having an affair with a taxi driver, and was also convicted of assault by threatening to chop up her body with an axe.
In mitigation Hoxobeb told Judge Usiku that he looked after all of the deceased’s children including her three children from previous relationships as well as his three biological children with the deceased.
“I was a good father,” he said in response to a question from his state-funded lawyer, Milton Engelbrecht. He further said the children have no hard feelings towards him. This, Engelbrecht said, was adamantly stated by the eldest daughter of the deceased when she asked the court to have mercy on Hoxobeb and allow him to come home to them. Engelbrecht further told the court the convicted gave his full cooperation from day one and had no part in delaying the trial.
He said that Hoxobeb told the police from the time of his arrest that he wished to plead guilty. “Although the crimes committed by the accused are very serious and a human being lost her life, the accused deserves mercy as he was open and honest and took the court into his confidence,” Engelbrecht pleaded with Judge Usiku.
He further said Hoxobeb has asked for forgiveness from his and the deceased’s family on various occasions and has shown genuine remorse. According to Engelbrecht the attack on the deceased was not planned, but happened on the spur of the moment as he was provoked by the deceased’s continuous swearing at his mother. He asked for a prison term not exceeding 25 years with a part thereof suspended and said life imprisonment is not appropriate in the circumstances.
Engelbrecht further told Judge Usiku that the suspended part of the sentence will hang like a sword above the head of the convict to serve as a reminder not to re-offend.