The Katutura Magistrate’s Court last week struck the case of a man accused of killing and setting alight his live-in girlfriend two years ago in Katutura, Windhoek from the court roll.
Magistrate Olivia van der Colff removed Simon Sheefeni (37)’s case from the roll after the State informed her that the Prosecutor General’s decision was not available yet. The court in August gave a final remand for the Prosecutor General to make a decision in the matter after the case was forwarded to her office. Van der Colff indicated that Sheefeni could be summoned again once the State has put its affairs in order.
Consequently, he was released from custody. Sheefeni had been in police custody since his arrest on 23 September 2019. He was charged with murder, arson and defeating the course of justice.
All charges emanate from the gruesome death of Katrina Kasita (38), who died on 21 September 2019 at Namibia Nalitungwe informal settlement.
The victim, a mother of six, was allegedly assaulted and killed before her body was set alight by Sheefeni, who fled the scene afterwards. It is suspected that he covered Kasita with blankets, poured paraffin on her body and set her alight in her corrugated iron home. It is alleged the suspect had attempted to burn Kasita before a fight, but failed.
The couple was allegedly in a tumultuous relationship, which was marred by violence.
During the commission of the alleged crimes, Sheefeni sustained injuries from the fire.
The Namibian Police at the time confirmed that Sheefeni sustained burn wounds on his face and other parts of his body, and was hospitalised at the Katutura hospital under police guard.
Sheefeni was later found in hiding in the Northern Industrial area, according to the police.
The police added that the accused suffered from fatigue where he was hiding, and approached people at a service station in the area, asking them to pray for him.
The people allegedly alerted the police after they saw he had burn wounds, and there was coincidentally a suspect being sought by the police following the tragic incident.
-mamakali@nepc.com.na