Windhoek
Another murder and robbery accused denied guilt in the Windhoek High Court on Monday, despite having deposed a confession to a magistrate and pointing out to a senior police officer the scene of the crime.
Jan Benedicktus Fredericks told Judge Nate Ndauendapo he has no knowledge of the crimes he is accused of, as he was at his place of employment on that particular day from 08h00 until 17h00.
He disputed the admissibility of the confession and the pointing-out of the crime scene, claiming he was beaten by the police and forced to make such a confession under coercive circumstances. This will likely lead to a trial-within-a-trial to determine the admissibility of the evidence.
Fredericks faces a charge of murder for allegedly beating to death Magrietha Aletta Thirion with a wooden pole – also known as a dropper – at her residence in Keetmanshoop on November 6, 2012. Thirion died in the Katutura State Hospital the following morning as a result of severe head injuries.
It is further alleged after he beat the deceased with the wooden pole, Fredericks then robbed her of a Nokia cellphone, simcard and an Emachene laptop and charger, a computer bag and a bedsheet/duvet cover.
According to the charge sheet, the deceased was alone at her house when Fredericks arrived there, using a ruse that her family owes him money. She allowed him to wait in her yard for her daughter to come and sort out the issue.
Thirion, however, left her front door open and Fredericks entered the house with the dropper, whereupon he started attacking her by hitting her several times on the body and head with the wooden pole. He then robbed her and fled the scene, it is alleged.
One of the State witnesses, Idelette Holland-Muter, testified that when she and her sister, Elsje Smallberger, arrived at the deceased’s house she observed the deceased lying on her kitchen floor near the washing basin. According to the witness, she and her sister were asked by the deceased’s daughter to bring a certain file to her that morning.
When they arrived they saw that the door was wide open and observed the elderly lady lying very still. As they got closer to the deceased they saw that she was lying in a pool of blood, with an open gash on the top of her head, which bled profusely.
Another witness, Hermina Lubbe, testified that she saw the accused with a similar cellphone as the one stolen from the deceased that same day at around 12h00, when he claimed he was at work. She told the court the accused asked her for a charger for the phone and she observed he was carrying something covered in a bedsheet.
Fredericks is represented by Mbanga Siyomunji on instructions from legal aid and Dominic Lisulo prosecutes. Fredericks remains in police custody. The trial continues today.