2018-01-23Staff Report 2 Roland Routh Windhoek-A security guard from Blouwes near Tses in the Keetmanshoop district who is accused of stabbing his wife 12 times in a chest and back with a knife, yesterday maintained his version of events that led to the death of his wife on June 18, 2014 at the settlement. The State charges that Jacobs killed his wife, Sophia Lucia Jacobs, 41, out of revenge for having left the common home and entering into an illicit affair with another man. He is charged with murder read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act. According to the charge sheet, Jacobs who was a security guard at the Blouwes Primary School and hostel, was on duty on the fateful evening, and when he encountered his estranged wife, he attacked her and stabbed her 12 times in the upper chest and back, leading to her demise the next day in the Keetmanshoop State Hospital. The two killing blows were one 110mm deep wound that penetrated the left ventricle of the heart and one wound that penetrated the upper left lung which caused massive bleeding. According to Dr Andries Vermeulen, who conducted the autopsy of the deceased, he found 100ml of blood in the left cavity of the chest. He said he also found two superficial wounds on the left shoulder and two on the groin area of the deceased, as well as six shallow stab marks on the back of the deceased. According to Jacobs, during his testimony in his own defence, he was on duty that night when he noticed a man standing at the gate of the school yard and then saw a lady walking towards the man. When the lady reached the man they kissed passionately while holding hands, Jacobs narrated. They then entered the school yard while still kissing and he walked towards them to warn them off the property, Jacobs told the court. “When I came near they separated while still holding hands and the man said to the woman ‘finish him’ and ran out of the yard,” Jacobs said. He continued: “At that stage I did not recognise the woman, but as she came closer to me I realised that it was my wife and saw that she had a knife in her hands with which she tried to stab me. I dodged the stab and grabbed her on her arm, trying to take the knife from her. She was strong and we struggled for the knife and fell down several times while grabbing for the knife.” He said that it must have been when they fell down that the deceased sustained the fatal stab wounds. “I never intended to stab my wife to death and I did not intend to stab her that night. She was the one who came there to stab me,” he said. Jacobs said that he only stabbed the deceased five or more times on her back when she turned away from him, but the wounds were shallow and only meant to hurt her. The case was remanded to Thursday for submissions on the verdict and Jacobs is out on bail of N$2,000. He is represented by Jan Wessels on instructions of legal aid and Hesekiel Ipinge is prosecuting for the State. •••• Pic: Johannes Jacobs.jpg Caption: Johannes Jacobs 2018-01-23Staff Report 2
