John Kangumbe Mutirua (23) pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Mutirua also pleaded not guilty to one count of defeating or attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice, one count of abduction (alternatively kidnapping), two counts of kidnapping, and five counts of rape.
It is alleged by the State that Mutirua killed Albert Maasdorp on 16 July 2023 at Epako in the Gobabis district.
It is further alleged by the State that he on the same day attempted to kill Silika Witbeen by stabbing in the shoulder.
The robbery charge relates to an incident where he allegedly unlawfully took N$1 300 from Maasdorp with force.
The defeating charge is in relation to Mutirua allegedly disposing of the knife he used to stab Maasdorp and Witbeen, and the second murder charge is that he allegedly killed Meno Tjizera (19) with a knife on 30 or 31 October 2020.
The second attempted murder charge is for allegedly stabbing Ishmael Xhao on the head with the intention to kill him. The abduction charge is that he abducted a nine-year-old girl, and that he allegedly tied her up and imprisoned her before he raped her four times and caused another eight-year-old boy to have intercourse with the nine-year-old girl under coercive circumstances on 23 September 2018 when Mutirua was just 17 years old.
He denied all the charges, and informed Windhoek High Court Acting Judge Makapa Simasiku through his Legal Aid-instructed lawyer Ileni Velikoshi, that he admits stabbing Maasdorp.
He, however, said he did not intend to cause his death, stating that Maasdorp charged at him with his hand in his pocket when he confronted him about the blankets Maasdorp stole from him.
He said he thought Maasdorp was going to withdraw a weapon, and out of fear and in a hurry, he “preventively” stabbed Maasdorp once in the chest.
Regarding the stabbing of Witbeen, he said that he did not stab Witbeen, and that Witbeen was stabbed by an individual only identified as Riaan.
He further denied that he robbed Maasdorp, and indicated to the court that Maasdorp was robbed days before their altercation.
He also said that he did not dispose of the knife but left it at the scene, as he was traumatised. In relation to the death of Tjizera, he denied that he stabbed Tjizera.
Mutirua said they were at a wedding, and he had an altercation with one Steven, and was removed from the venue and only heard about the incident while at home and was arrested the following day but was released later because of a lack of evidence and re-arrested for assault, which was later turned into a murder charge.
He further told the court that the police always looked for him, as he was known to them for any offence committed in the area.
On the second charge of attempted murder, he denied stabbing Xhao and said that Xhao was stabbed by one Sydwell, who was charged with the stabbing.
On the charges of abduction, kidnapping and rape, he denied the allegations as outright lies and said he never even met any of the complainants. He further said that six days after the alleged incident, he was grabbed by a bunch of people, assaulted and put in the boot of a car before he was taken to the police.
According to him, it was a case of mistaken identity, and he was only charged with the offences after he was arrested for the murder of Maasdorp. State Advocate Maria Shilongo is prosecuting, and Mutirua is being held in custody.