Windhoek
The fact he has spent the last six years and eleven months in jail waiting for the finalisation of his trial could not save a convicted rapist and robber from spending another three decades behind bars for his crimes.
When she sentenced Erwin Kock in the Windhoek High Court yesterday Judge Naomi Shivute said the fact he spent the last 81 months incarcerated weighed heavily in his favour, but did not prevent her from sending to jail for 31 years.
The State alleged he killed, raped and robbed 58-year-old Rebecca Isaacks in Keetmanshoop between the dates of October 2 and 3, 2008. Judge Shivute acquitted Kock on the charge of murder at the beginning of July, but convicted him of assault, rape and robbery.
The judge found in her judgment that the State did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that Kock killed the deceased. She sentenced Kock to six years in prison on the assault with intent to cause grivous bodily harm (GBH) conviction, 18 years for rape and 10 years for the robbery conviction.
Three years of the sentence on the assault GBH count were ordered to run concurrently with the sentence on the rape count. While he did spend a considerable amount of time awaiting his trial the judge said he was not a first offender.
“The offences he committed are very serious and rampant,” she said and “all of them involve violence, a clear indication that the accused is a violent person, who has no respect for human dignity”.
She went on to say Kock ferociously assaulted his victim, who suffered injuries on the most vulnerable parts of her body. According to the judge it was undoubtedly a cowardly attack on a defenseless woman and should not be tolerated.
She said although the offences were committed within a short period it does not mean Kock should not be sentenced individually for each crime committed.
Kock was represented by Boris ‘The Mouth’ Isaacks on instruction from the Directorate of Legal Aid, while Deputy Prosecutor General Karin Esterhuizen prosecuted.