The trial date of Okahandja resident, Karl Friedrich Eichhoff, accused of fatally shooting a man and burying him with his dogs, is yet to be set.

Making an appearance yesterday in the Windhoek Regional Court, Eichhoff was informed that due to the absence of his lawyer Louis Botes, his matter could not proceed as planned.

According to State prosecutor Menencia Hinda, Botes will not be available for two months due to medical reasons. 

Thus, magistrate Justine Asino postponed the matter to 16 September so that new trial dates may be set. The court also extended Eichhoff’s bail.

Eichhoff’s trial will start afresh after the presiding officer left the services of the Judiciary last year. 

He will be tried on a count of murder, defeating or obstructing the course of justice, or attempting to do so, and ill-treatment of animals.

The charges emanate from the shooting that took place on Eichhoff father’s farm in Okahandja district on 6 October 2013.

The prosecution alleges he shot and killed Cornelius Slinger (51). He then attempted to conceal his crime by burying the body alongside two dogs owned by the deceased he had shot in an aardvark hole. 

At the start of his trial in June 2017, Eichhoff pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and ill-treatment of animals, but admitted guilt on a count of attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice.

In his plea explanation, he told the court he did not see any human being when he fired shots at four dogs that were on the farm.

But he admitted that one of the shots he fired might have struck Slinger and caused his death.

He explained that on the day in question, he was at the water point on the farm when he heard dogs barking. He allegedly started walking in their direction to see what was going on as they had had issues with poaching on the farm. 

He approached a busy area and came across four dogs and he started shooting at them. As a result of the shooting, he killed two dogs. After he got closer to the dogs, he allegedly saw a man lying dead under a bush.

Due to fear and panic, he decided to bury Slinger alongside the dead dogs in an aardvark hole at the scene. Slinger’s body was discovered two days later after a search carried out by the police and residents from a neighbouring resettlement farm where Slinger lived.

Eichhoff confessed and was arrested. He showed police where he had buried Slinger.

According to the post-mortem report, Slinger died from blood loss caused by a gunshot wound. The fatal bullet struck him on his right leg, just below the buttock, went through the leg, nearly destroyed his private parts, and entered his left leg.

The report indicated Slinger was walking or running when he got shot.

- mamakali@nepc.com.na