Windhoek High Court Judge Dinnah Usiku this week ordered the trial of Denzil Xavier Dawids (24), who allegedly rammed his car into a stationary vehicle and killed a female passenger, to start on 2 June this year. 

Dawids is facing one count of murder, one count of reckless or negligent driving, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, one count of assault, and one count of malicious damage to property. 

It is alleged by the State that he intentionally killed Yolande Regina McCullum by hitting her with his Toyota Hilux on 1 October 2023 in Gobabis. 

The charge of reckless driving is in relation to him driving at an excessive speed and with a wanton disregard for the safety of other persons or property. The attempted murder charges relate to him driving at full speed at the vehicle that Percival McCallum and Caden Snyders were in and colliding with it, thereby attempting to kill them. 

The assault with intention to  cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) charges are in relation to the accused allegedly attacking and hitting Percival McCallum and Alessandro van Rooyen with a sjambok with the intent to cause them bodily harm. The assault charge relates to the accused slapping Caden Snyders in the face with an open hand. 

The malicious damage to property relates to Dawids damaging the vehicle the complainants and the deceased were in, to the amount of N$232 973.17, by causing a collision. 

It is alleged by the State that the deceased and the complainants were socialising at a bar in Epako in Gobabis when the accused arrived and started spinning the wheels of his Hilux. 

When Snyders requested him to stop the ruckus, the accused allegedly assaulted him. One of the bystanders then apparently hit the accused on the head with a bottle. 

He was angry and under the impression that it was the occupants of the BMW the complainants were in that hit him, and he proceeded to damage the windows of the BMW, and the complainants decided to leave the scene, and the accused followed them, the indictment read. 

When he caught up with the BMW, which was parked on a curb, he veered into the lane for oncoming traffic and sped directly towards them with the intent to kill them, it is alleged, and the deceased managed to push her son (Percival) out of the way and suffered the brunt of the collision. 

The accused then got out of his vehicle armed with a sjambok and started hitting the complainants multiple times with it, the State alleges. 

Dawids is represented by Sisa Namandje and the State by Antonia Verhoef. 

-rrouth@nepc.com.na