Oshakati
Oshakati High Court yesterday convicted a police constable of murdering his girlfriend eight years ago.
Judge Marlene Tommasi found Hashiyana Andreas, 32, guilty of the murder of schoolteacher Eunike Aluteni, 25, who died after she was shot three times with an AK-47 rifle.
The incident took place at Champ Style Bar in Oshakati on December 10, 2008.
Andreas claimed that he and Aluteni were in relationship for six months. He was arrested the same night he committed the murder. The police claimed that they found him naked in bed with another woman, whom he claims to be his other girlfriend.
Hashiyana, who was off duty during the commission of the crime, was stationed at the Angolan Consulate in Oshakati.
He allegedly stole a service AK-47 rifle and at least 27 rounds of live ammunition from his duty station. He then went back to the Champ Style Bar, where he and Aluteni were earlier socialising.
Upon his return, Hashiyana allegedly followed Aluteni to the toilet where the confrontation took place. Although nobody knows exactly what happened, Hashiyana earlier claimed that Aluteni pushed him and made her way out of the toilet.
That was before he shot and killed her in the full view of a bar attendant and one customer.
Hashiyana earlier told the court that the confrontation between him and Aluteni took place after he overheard Aluteni telling her friend that she had infected him (Hashiyana) with HIV.
He also claimed that he was only carrying the riffle as a colleague, who had asked him to stand in for her, gave it to him. He claimed he had no intention of killing Aluteni.
The court learnt that Hashiyana shot Aluteni three times -once in the chest, buttocks and the back. She died at the scene.
One of the shots fired also struck a security guard, who was a distance away from the bar.
After the shooting Hashiyana abandoned the AK 47 rifle and 22 rounds of live ammunition in the yard of the Angolan Consulate, located just next to the bar in question.
He then reportedly went to his other girlfriend’s house.
Judge Tomasi found Hashiyana guilty of murder, real along with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act.
She, however, found him not guilty on the attempted murder charge, but he was found guilty on an alternatively charge of negligent discharge or handling of a firearm, when he shot the security guard. He was also found not guilty of theft.
The matter was postponed to April 6 for sentencing.