Iuze Mukube
A resident of Lüderitz yesterday in the Windhoek High Court tendered a guilty plea to a charge of murder for stabbing his four-month pregnant wife, Dorethea Ricket, multiple times with a knife in 2014.
Johannes Swartbooi, is facing a charge of murder, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act.
The accused also gave a plea explanation, amplifying his guilty plea, explaining that between 24 and 25 December 2014 in Aus in the district of Luderitz, after arriving at his residence at night, he discovered that his wife and children had gone out to church.
Afterwards, he had dinner with them after they returned from church but later his wife apparently left the house again without informing him where she was going.
He explained that she returned home in the early hours of 25 December 2014 but that she was heavily intoxicated and when questioned about where she went, he said his wife told him that he had no right to ask her such questions.
He explained that his wife got infuriated and stated shouting, insulting and pushing him inside their bedroom after questioning why she left their six-months-old unattended at home.
He admitted that he could not recall the exact words that were exchanged between the two, only that it resulted in a verbal and physical altercation.
“I admit that during the physical altercation between me and the deceased, I stabbed her at least six times with a knife in her neck and body,” he admitted.
In the aftermath of the altercation, he left and went to the house of his in-law’s house and the deceased was later transported to the hospital where she was declared dead on 27 December 2014, due to multiple stab wounds.
However, Swartbooi stated that he was not aware that the deceased was pregnant before and after the altercation, that he only learned about the matter while replying to the State’s pre-trial memorandum in 2021.
Swartbooi admitted that that the cause of the death of his late wife was because of the injuries sustained by the multiple stab wounds he inflicted on her neck and body and that he knew that by stabbing her he would cause her death.
“I admit that I committed this horrible chilling act. Today, I sit with regret and wish I could take back my actions,” he said.
The accused and the deceased were married at the time and had five minor children together before her death.
Judge Claudia Claasen, who was presiding over the matter yesterday, after his plea and with the acceptance of the plea by the State, convicted him on the charge of murder.
The matter was postponed to 17 December 2025 for mitigation and aggravation proceedings.
Swartbooi is represented by Dawn Marondedze and the State by Dominic Lisulo.