WINDHOEK – Magistrate Johannes Shuuveni yesterday found Jonas Nuuyoma guilty of stabbing Petrus Seefeni to death on 20 December, 2010.
Magistrate Shuuveni found Nuuyoma guilty of culpable homicide. Nuuyoma initially faced a charge of murder, but the magistrate ruled that the State failed to prove the charge of murder against the accused. When delivering judgment, Magistrate Shuuveni said the court was satisfied from the evidence before it that the State managed to prove a case of culpable homicide against the accused. The magistrate further said: “The reasons for the assault have not been canvassed and this is an unfortunate situation since the deceased is no more to tell as what exactly transpired on the fateful date or prior to the stabbing incident.”
“Hence, in my judgment, I find that the reasons for the assault in my view have not been firmly established. Equally, it is my conclusion that the deceased is to share the blame for his resultant death since he was the one who commenced the episode that culminated in his death,” he said.
Seefeni was stabbed with a knife on 20 December, 2010 and died later the same day in the Katutura State Hospital.
Nuuyoma handed himself to the police at Wanaheda Police Station following the stabbing where he was arrested and charged with murder. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder.
During the trial, Nuuyoma testified that on the day of the incident, he was at Amadhila’s Bar when Seefeni came to talk to him. Seefeni allegedly asked Nuuyoma why he was undermining him. Seefeni then started assaulting Nuuyoma hitting him in the face with his fists. Seefeni then pulled Nuuyoma to his room and returned later to continue the assault. Nuuyoma testified that he could not run away, because the deceased was blocking the door, which was the only exit he could have used. He testified further that he saw a knife, which he picked up and tried to scare off the deceased but in the process, the deceased stormed onto the knife with fatal consequences. Nuuyoma testified that he did not have any intention to kill the deceased, but was merely trying to create a room for him to escape to safety. The prosecution and the defence are expected to argue on the sentence to be imposed today.
Tunomukwathi Asino