WINDHOEK – A Mariental resident who admitted to having fatally stabbed his girlfriend multiple times with a knife two years ago, was sentenced to 29 years imprisonment yesterday in Windhoek High Court. 

High Court Judge Dinah Usiku sentenced Hendrick Uirab, 32, to 31 years imprisonment of which two years was suspended for a period of five years on condition that he is not convicted of murder, attempted murder or assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm during the period of suspension.  

The court found Uirab It convicted Uirab on a charge of murder following his admission to the charge on August 5. 

He was found not guilty on a charge of attempted murder and acquitted. 
Uirab admitted he killed his girlfriend Katrina Maria Rooi, 27, at Mariental in June 2017, and explained to the court that he committed the crime out of anger during an argument with her.

According to Uirab’s plea explanation that was read out by his defence lawyer Milton Engelbrecht, he and the deceased were in a romantic relationship and have one child with her. 

On the night in question, Uirab said, the deceased called him to come and join her at a house where traditional beer was sold.

When he arrived at the place, he saw the deceased sitting on the lap of her ex-boyfriend and he became angry and left.

However, after a while, he returned with a kitchen knife and called the deceased to come to him, but she refused and he took her away to the cemetery. At the cemetery, he confronted her about her sitting on the lap of her ex-boyfriend and she then slapped him twice and also grabbed him on his jacket and broke the zip.

During the confrontation, Uirab took out the knife and stabbed Rooi multiple times in the chest. Uirab informed the court that he left the deceased at the cemetery and went to his aunt’s house where he slept. The following day Uirab went to the cemetery to check up on the deceased but unfortunately, he found her dead.
He then went to the police and handed himself over, telling the police that he is the person they are looking for. 

During the trial, Uirab denied the second charge that he attempted to murder another person by hitting him with an axe on the forehead.