WINDHOEK – A farm worker who admitted he caused the death of his wife but denied he intended to kill her, told the court yesterday that he “just saw black” after his wife of 21 years had told him she enjoyed sex with other men more than with him.
Andrew Hermanus Johannes Scott, 56, was testifying in his own defence before Windhoek High Court judge Naomi Shivute in his murder trial.
The state is alleging that Scott killed Anna Scott during the period 2 to 3 August 2017 at farm Houmoed approximately 34 kilometres from Kalkrand.
He further faces a charge of defeating or obstructing or attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice in that he allegedly during the period 2 to 4 August 2017 concealed the dead body of Anna Scott in a room inside his residence by hiding it under a blanket.
He denied guilt on all charges at the start of trial.
Scott told the court that on the day of his wife’s demise they had both consumed alcohol and were very drunk when they went home.
But upon arriving at their residence he confronted her about her habit of sleeping with other men and then bragging to him about it.
He wanted to know from her why she insisted in insulting him with such behaviour and offered to return her to her family.
She however told him that she would not leave him and would stay with him, Scott narrated.
He further said that he again asked her to let him return her to her family as he did not want any trouble as she was persisting in her behaviour of sleeping with other men.
According to him, the deceased then told him: ‘It is my body and I can do with it what I want and I enjoy sex with them more than with you.’
“At that moment my mind just went blank, I got very angry and everything just got black in front of me and just one thought came into my mind, and that’s when I grabbed her and threw her on the floor,” Scott said, and continued: “I then stomped on her private parts with my right shoe, I don’t know how many times and she just said ‘Harry’ and went quiet.”
Scott then became emotional and started crying causing the judge to remand the matter for ten minutes to give him time to compose himself.
When the matter resumed, Scott told the court that he then went to sleep, leaving the deceased on the floor where she fell and when he woke up the next morning she was still lying there.
He said he picked her up and put her on the mattress that was next to their bed, covered her with blankets and went about his daily chores.
He said that when he returned later that day he found the deceased lying very still with her arms crossed over her chest and that when he put his hand to her nose, he realised she was not breathing and had passed on.
According to Scott, he never entered the house again and decided to end his own life as he knew he had done something wrong, but before he could his nephew arrived and stopped him.
The trial continues and Scott, who is being defended by Mbanga Siyomunji, remains in custody.
State advocate Marthino Olivier is prosecuting.