Windhoek
Petrus Friedel Kobus Frederick, a resident of Rosh Pinah in southern Namibia, was sentenced in the High Court on Friday to 35 years in prison for the murder of his partner, Bonaventura Skeyer.
At the start of his trial on August 18 last year, Frederick had pleaded guilty to the murder of Skeyer –who died as a result of no less than 27 stabwounds inflicted by him all over her body at Rosh Pinah on February 26, 2012. Frederick faced one count of murder and another count of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
The State also alleged Frederick had attempted to kill Rachid Chanick Klukowski on December 3, 2011 by breaking his collarbone and his right humerus (the area where the arm is joined with the shoulder) by hitting, kicking and beating him all over his body.
After the State refused to accept a guilty plea on the charge of assault to cause grievous bodily harm, instead of attempted murder, the Prosecution called a number of witnesses, including the complainant, Klukowski, but by the end of March Judge Alfred Sibioleka said more complete details of how the complainant was assaulted while lying on the ground were not placed before court due to the fact that a key eyewitness, Winslow Nail, ran away.
This resulted in the accused’s version being established. The judge said he was satisfied the serious injuries Klukowski suffered came about as a result of Frederick knocking him to the ground with a fist and then proceeding to kick him. However, the judge found that the State did not establish beyond reasonable doubt that Frederick intended to kill Klukowski.
Siboleka then acquitted him on the more serious charge of attempted murder and instead found him guilty on March 31 on the lesser charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. “It is correct that the one fist blow and an undisclosed number of kicks to unknown parts of the body occasioned the injuries to the deceased.
“These include him becoming unconscious only to wake up in hospital with a broken collarbone and a hole drilled in his head where a clot of blood was removed,” the judge noted, adding that Klukowski complained about severe headaches requiring strong painkillers since the incident.
Siboleka sentenced Frederick to 35 years for the murder of Skeyer and five years for the assault on Klukowski. The years were ordered to run concurrently (at the same time), meaning Frederick will serve a total of 35 years in prison.