The lawyer representing a former senior police officer attached to the Women and Child Protection Unit in Keetmanshoop on Thursday informed Deputy Judge President Hosea Angula that they are still waiting for his client to be seen by a psychiatrist.
Boris Isaacks informed the judge that former Detective Warrant Officer Morgan Brian Plaatjie has not been admitted to the Windhoek Central Hospital’s psychiatric ward yet, and that they have not received any feedback as to when he will be admitted when he made a scheduled appearance in the Windhoek High Court.
The judge ordered that he must be evaluated by a psychiatrist in the employment of the State as well as by a private psychiatrist.
Plaatjie is facing one charge of housebreaking with the intent to murder and murder, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, one count of attempted murder, two counts of contravening the Combating of Domestic Violence Act – contravening a protection order, one count of assault by threat, and one count of malicious damage to property, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act.
It is alleged by the State that during the period 25 to 26 June 2021 in Keetmanshoop, the accused broke down the toilet door of Yvette Sharon Louw by kicking it open with the intent to murder her, and then unlawfully and intentionally killed Louw by stabbing her several times with a knife. The attempted murder charge relates to an incident on the same day when he unlawfully and intentionally assaulted Dawid Jansen by stabbing him multiple times with the intention to murder him.
With regards to contravening a protection order, it is alleged that Plaatjie contravened the provisions of a protection order Louw had taken out against him on two occasions. The assault by threat charge is in relation to an incident when Plaatjie allegedly threatened to kill or beat her in circumstances where she believed he had the intention and means to carry out his threat, and caused her to flee her residence. The malicious damage charge reflects an incident when he unlawfully and intentionally destroyed her TV set.
According to the summary of substantial facts in the indictment, the accused and Louw were involved in a romantic relationship, from which two children were born. However, two years before her death, she terminated the relationship, and moved into her own place in Keetmanshoop’s Tseiblaagte residential area.
Due to ongoing assaults and threats of assault by Plaatjie, Louw applied for and obtained a protection order against him, valid until August 2022. He, however, violated the protection order on 7 May 2021 when he came to her house and insulted and threatened her as well as damaged her TV set. She opened a criminal case against him, whereupon he was arrested and granted bail. It is further stated that the accused again went to Louw’s house during the late-night hours of 25 June 2021 when he found Louw and her new boyfriend, Jansen, and started to stab the boyfriend, causing him to flee. He, thereafter, proceeded to attack Louw by stabbing her several times with a knife, causing her to seek shelter. He then broke down the door of the toilet where she locked herself in, and continued to stab Louw until she collapsed.
He afterwards called the police, and reported that he had killed her. The police arrived and took Louw to hospital, where she died due to blood loss and injuries caused by the stab wounds. Plaatjie remains in custody at the Seeis police station.
The matter will return to court on 18 August for a status report on the mental observation.
Deputy prosecutor general Antonia Verhoef represented the State.
– rrouth@nepc.com.na