A police officer attached to the Crime Investigations Unit of the Namibian Police testified on Friday that she and other colleagues found the clothes Patrick Geingob, a former teacher accused of fatally stabbing his wife 12 times, had worn during the stabbing in a bucket of water.
Sergeant Meriam Gabriel informed Windhoek High Court Judge Herman January that they were ordered to go to a friend of Geingob’s residence because their police chief had received information that he was there, and that the friend, only referred to as Antonius, had taken him to the police station.
She said they went to the residence of Antonius and his girlfriend, also only referred to as Melinda, to take witness statements from them. She interviewed Melinda, who told her that Geingob was there at around 04h00 in the morning, and was talking outside with Antonius. According to her, Antonius then gave Geingob clean clothes to wear as the ones he had on were full of blood. She then placed the bloody clothes in a bucket of water as she wanted to wash it.
On a question from State Advocate Seredine Jacobs as to why the woman did that, she said the witness told her she did not know she was not supposed to do it.
Gabriel further said after they photographed the bucket with the clothes in it, Melinda took it out and placed it in a plastic bag, and it was handed to the Investigating Officer. On a question from Jermaine Muchali, the Legal Aid-instructed lawyer of Geingob why it was Melinda and not the police who removed the clothes, she said she could not answer that question.
Geingob is facing charges of murder, read together with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, and defeating or obstructing the course of justice, one count of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and one count of common assault.
He pleaded not guilty on the first two charges because of a diagnosis that he apparently suffered from a major depression syndrome during the incident. With regards to the assault charges, he pleaded not guilty due to the vagueness of the dates of the alleged incidents, will not provide a plea explanation, and will remain silent.
The 39-year-old Geingob had through his lawyer requested to have the Directorate of Legal Aid pay for a private mental assessment. The former educator is disputing the State’s mental report which declared him fit to stand trial, and wants a private psychiatrist to assess his mental stability. The private psychiatrist has found that Geingob suffered from a mental defect when he butchered his wife.
The State is alleging that Geingob slapped his wife Merentha Geingos in 2011 with an open hand with the intent to cause her serious bodily harm. He is also accused of slapping Ragel Boois in the face. It is further alleged that he killed his wife in the kitchen of their marital home in Okuryangava by stabbing her with a knife 12 times in front of their children.
Geingos died on 14 April 2019 at the Katutura state hospital, where she succumbed to injuries upon her arrival.
During Geingob’s failed bail hearing, the court was informed that he arrived home late that night and had an argument with Geingos, which resulted in him stabbing her. Court documents state that Geingos and their children were asleep on the night in question when Geingob arrived and loudly demanded entrance into the residence. Geingos opened the door, voiced her displeasure at his behaviour, and went to the bedroom. Geingob then allegedly went to the kitchen, and armed himself with a knife and attacked her. People who resided on the same erf managed to remove the knife from him, whereafter he went to a friend’s place where he got rid of the clothes, it is further alleged. Thereafter, Geingob handed himself over to the police, and has been in custody since.
The matter continues.