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Home / Psychiatric report for murder accused ready
Psychiatric report for murder accused ready
2016-02-26Staff Report 2 Windhoek The psychiatric report for a man accused of stabbing his girlfriend at least 27 times in front of her four-year old son is ready, Judge Christi Liebenberg was informed yesterday. Boris Isaacks, the private lawyer of Johny Ryno Diergaardt, the accused, requested the court to order Diergaardt to undergo psychiatric observation to determine his capability to stand trial during an earlier pre-trial conference. Deputy Prosecutor General Antonia Verhoef informed the court Diergaardt has underwent psychiatric observation during the past 30 days. If he is found fit to stand trial, it is expected that the judge will assign trial dates and a trial judge at Diergaardt’s next pre-trial conference scheduled for March 17. Diergaardt is charged with the murder of Tiffany Tanita Lewin on March 3, 2014 at the room he rented at Erf 427, Garnet Street in Khomasdal. According to the indictment, Lewin and her son arrived during the early evening hours to collect some property which the accused earlier the same day removed from her handbag. He then stabbed her at least 27 times with knives after which he fled the scene. Newspaper reports at the time indicated that the four-year-old boy tried to intervene and managed to stab the accused on his upper thigh in an attempt to stop the accused from continuing to stab his mother. The deceased died on the scene due to blood loss. The accused was arrested when he returned to his room later that night. On Wednesday Judge Liebenberg also postponed the trial of American murder accused, Marcus Thomas, as he still has not been examined by a neuropsychologist as ordered by the judge. Thomas was previously diagnosed with neurocognitive disorder by Dr Frederika Mthoko, caused by a fall he suffered during his failed escape attempt in November 2014, but the State did not accept the psychiatrist’s finding that he is unfit to stand trial. The judge was informed that the psychiatric unit was still busy compiling a team as was ordered by the judge. As Namibia does not currently have a neuropsychiatrist, the specialist is to be sourced from beyond the borders of Namibia. Keven Townsend and Marcus Thomas are accused of killing Andre Heckmair with a single gunshot in the back of his head on January 07, 2011 at Gusinde Street in Windhoek and robbing him of his cellphone and wallet containing 100 Swiss Franc. They also allegedly imported two 9mm pistol barrels without a permit and allegedly possessed a 7.65mm pistol and ammunition without a licence. It is further alleged that the accused removed a notebook from police custody after the police seized it as an exhibit and/or burned, destroyed or otherwise disposed of some of the pages in the book. Thomas is now represented by James Diedericks as his previous lawyer Monty Karuaihe withdrew from the case while Townsend is represented by Mbanga Siyomunji. 2016-02-26Staff Report 2
