Maria Amakali
Windhoek-A court has sentenced a 24-year-old man to 18 months in prison for assaulting and threatening to kill his mother.
Magistrate Justine Asino sentenced Vernitho Beukes to prison on one count of assault read with the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act, and one count of crimen injuria.
Beukes’ charge sheet states that on December 2016 he intentionally threatened to kill his mother at their home in Cimbebasia, Windhoek.
Witnesses testified that Beukes said he was going to end his mother’s life. Buekes further hurled insults at his mother, which were in contravention of the Domestic Violence Act No 4. of 2004.
During court proceedings, Beukes’ mother objected to his bail application, and informed the court she feared for her life.
She further testified that her son uses drugs that cloud his judgment and turn him into someone she cannot even identify as her own biological son.
“I do not want him to get bail, he might kill me or us at home,” the mother said in evidence.
She told the court she was convinced her son would fulfil his words and kill her.
Beukes who was not cooperative, nor showed any remorse during court proceedings, was convicted of contempt of court.
The accused, who kept interrupting the prosecutor and shouting in court at the top of his lungs, was given three months on top of the 18-month sentence behind bars for contempt of court.
Magistrate Asino warned Beukes 3 three times to keep calm and allow the prosecutor to finalise what he had to present, but he did not pay any heed to the magistrate’s plea.
Beukes kept on repeating that his case was just a minor matter and nothing big. The court informed Beukes he had the right to appeal the court’s decision.
Without any legal representation Beukes pleaded guilty on both counts and started serving his sentence last Friday.