Windhoek
A Gobabis man who was convicted of intentionally killing his live-in girlfriend in Gobabis with a panga pleaded for forgiveness from the family of the victim, the court and Namibian nation.
“I feel very bad for what I have done and want to ask forgiveness from the family of the deceased, the court and the entire Namibian nation,” said Joel Petrus, 34, who was convicted in April this year of hacking his girlfriend Maria Erastus to death.
Petrus made the plea this week during the hearing of mitigation of sentence, admitting to striking the deceased with the panga, but stating that he did not intend to kill her, and that he regrets his actions.
High Court Judge Alfred Siboleka had already found Petrus guilty of intentionally hacking Erastus to death over a suspicious text message on her phone.
Petrus further informed the court that he has three children who are staying with their respective mothers and wants to be given a chance to provide for them. He further asked the court to have mercy on him.
Deputy Prosecutor General Jackson Kuutondokwa will cross-examine Petrus when the case returns to court on July 26.
Petrus was convicted on April 5 on a charge of murder with direct intent, read with the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, for killing Erastus with a panga during the period August 4 to 5, 2012.
According to the post-mortem report Erastus had four deep cut wounds to her face and neck and two stab wounds to her back.
The stab wounds to her back penetrated her lungs and were potentially fatal, the doctor who conducted the post-mortem testified, adding that the cut wounds to her face and neck cut the major blood vessels, leading to massive and fatal bleeding, while her spinal cord was severed.
During the judgement Judge Siboleka summed up the evil deed by saying: “From the accused’s own account of what transpired, in front of him stood an unarmed, defenceless lady, his own girlfriend. He cut her on the left side of the neck three times in succession, as a result of which she fell down. These three deep cut wounds, on the deceased’s neck, which is one of the most delicate parts of a person’s body, shows that he did not only intend to injure her very seriously, but to kill her outright. As if these injuries were not enough, the accused still proceeded to inflict two deep lung-penetrating stab wounds on the upper back part of her thoracic cage, which is another delicate part on the body of a person. He covered her with a duvet, locked her inside and went to sleep elsewhere. He never asked for help to take her to hospital.”
The physician who performed the post-mortem testified that the deceased had no chances of surviving at all. The depth of the three neck wounds measured 6, 7 and 8 cm in length, while the two upper back stab wounds penetrated the lungs. All which clearly showed that the accused used substantial force to achieve the injuries of that extent and magnitude, the court said then.
Petrus is represented by Boris Isaacks on instructions from legal aid.