Maria Amakali
Windhoek
Police constable Justin Munsu Simataa, 31, was sentenced to 25 years behind bars in the Windhoek High Court yesterday for gunning down Canadian-born Firmino Fabrice Mael outside a Windhoek bar four years ago.
Judge Nate Ndauendapo sentenced Simataa to 30 years for murder, of which five years were suspended; 15 years for attempted murder; two years for malicious damage to property and one year for firing a gun in a public place. The last three sentences are to run concurrently with the murder sentence. “What makes this case tragic is the fact that the deceased died at the hands of a police officer who is meant to protect civilians,” said Judge Ndauendapo.
Mael, aged 25 at the time, died after Simataa went on a shooting spree after being assaulted by the deceased and his friends while they were at a local bar situated in Khomasdal, Windhoek.
According to the indictment, a fight broke out in which Simataa was left lying unconscious on the floor. It is alleged that the deceased and his friends assaulted him until he lost his consciousness. After waking up, Simataa obtained his personal licensed gun from the security guard at the bar and started shooting towards the car in which the deceased and his friends were seated ready to leave. In the process Mael was shot eight times, while his friend Millikan Likando was shot five times. Mael was pronounced dead at the scene, while his friend was left with a bullet in his lung.
“His act was an act of revenge, as he did not stop shooting voluntarily but only after he ran out of bullets,” Judge Ndauendapo noted, further stating that the crime was committed impulsively and was not premeditated.
According to the prosecution, although Simataa has apologised for the brutal killing he never really showed remorse for what he has done throughout his trial.
Mael’s mother Nora Bannett, 69, explained that it was a fair sentence as she never really wanted him to spend the rest of his life in prison. “All I wanted was for him to be punished for what he has done, as there are a lot of similar cases happening,” Bannett said.