WINDHOEK – “The accused is a disturbingly dangerous element that has no moral compass and therefore needs to be removed from society.” This was said by Judge Naomi Shivute mere seconds before she sentenced 32-year-old Gregorius Laurentius Kido to an effective 31 years in jail for the murder of his ex-girlfriend’s sister.
Kido was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of Petrina Hendrina Isaak who in life was the elder sister of the mother of his three children, Elfriede Fisch. He was further sentenced to six months in prison for the theft of Isaak’s cellphone, but this sentence was ordered to run concurrently with the murder sentence. On the charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and the assault by threat charge he was sentenced to 12 months and three months respectively with the latter to run concurrently with the former sentence. In sentencing him Judge Shivute said that the fact that Kido is a first offender, who pleaded guilty to all charges and asked for forgiveness from the deceased’s family counted in his favour.
However, she said, the personal circumstances of Kido must be weighed in relation with the interests of society. “The crime of murder is serious and relatively prevalent in our country,” the judge remarked. She went on to say that “as such, persons convicted of this heinous crime undoubtedly deserve lengthy sentences of imprisonment.” She further noted that Kido attacked the deceased ferociously by subjecting her to physical violence until he ended her life in cold blood. According to Judge Shivute it was an unprovoked and cowardly attack on a defenceless woman. She said the mother of Kido’s children live in fear because of his thuggery and has asked for protection from the court. She said it is very unfortunate for the children that they have to grow up without their father, but added that this is solely the fault of Kido, who therefore has no reason to complain.
On the sentencing the judge said that it is indeed so that the crimes of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and assault by threat were committed three hours after the first two crimes of murder and theft, thus evidencing separate intentions. She said that she therefore agrees with the counsel for the State, Anita Meyer, that it would be an inappropriate approach to order the sentences to run concurrently with the murder sentence. She further said that in her view however only the sentence to be imposed on the count of theft should run concurrently with the sentence on the murder count, while the sentences on the two assault counts should also run concurrently. Kido who turned 32 in January this year pleaded guilty to one count of murder, one count of theft, one count of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of assault by threat during his first appearance before Judge Shivute last week. Willem Visser represented Kido on instructions from the Department of Legal Aid.
By Roland Routh