WINDHOEK – The botched escape attempt by one of the American murder accused, Marcus Thomas, stopped the start of the trial in its tracks.
Thomas is receiving treatment for the various wounds and cuts he sustained when his trousers got ensnared in razor-sharp barbed wire while trying to jump over a prison fence.
At the time he got entangled in the barbed wire Thomas was trying to escape from the Windhoek Correctional Facility in a daring escape bid.
Social media was awash with comments on the American’s illegal bid for freedom with some calling it: Prison Break, Namibian edition season one.
Thomas did not make an appearance in court yesterday. His lawyer Werner van Rensburg asked Judge Christi Liebenberg for a postponement to today to allow him to receive treatment at an undisclosed clinic.
Thomas and his co-accused, Kevan Townsend, were supposed to plead to charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, three counts of contravening the Ammunitions Act and defeating or obstructing or attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice on Monday already, but because of his antics this did not materialize.
The State alleges they killed Andre Heckmair, who was the son of the owners of the Cattle Baron Steak Ranch, by shooting him assassin-style in the back of his head on January 07, 2011 in Gusinde Street in Windhoek and robbed him of his cellphone and wallet containing 100 Swiss Franc.
They allegedly imported two 9mm pistol barrels without a permit and allegedly possessed a 7.65mm pistol and ammunition without a licence.
Further it is alleged the accused removed a notebook from police custody after the police seized it as an exhibit and/or burned, destroyed or otherwise disposed of some of the pages.
Townsend will be defended by Boris Isaacs while Deputy Prosecutor General Antonia Verhoef will prosecute in the ongoing murder trial.