2018-04-03Staff Report 2 Roland Routh Windhoek The three people convicted of the gruesome murder of 80-year-old Gideon Johannes (Koos) Stoop at his home in Cimbebasia were sentenced to various jail terms by High Court Judge Alfred Siboleka on Thursday last week. The judge sentenced the main accused, Nelsiene Utiapatie Kauaria, 34, who claimed she was in a relationship with the deceased, to 20 years in jail for murder, 12 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances and six years for attempted robbery. George Tjikuao Katjingisua, 36, the second accused, was sentenced to 16 years behind bars for murder, with the same number of years as Kauaria for the robbery and attempted robbery convictions. His younger brother, Erwin Kasorere Tjiueza Katjingisua, 34, who admitted to the murder after he found religion in custody, was sentenced to 18 years behind bars for murder, again with the same number of years for the robbery and attempted robbery convictions as his co-accused. It was however ordered by the judge that the sentences on the robbery and attempted robbery convictions run concurrently with the sentences for murder, meaning they will only serve the sentence passed on the murder conviction. The three accused were convicted by Judge Siboleka of robbing Stoop – in life the father of renowned rugby players Andrè and Leon Stoop – during the period August 28 to 29, 2009 at his flat at Erf 304 in Shilunga Street in Cimbebasia, a residential suburb of Windhoek. According to the charges they faced they were guilty of assaulting Stoop by hitting and/or kicking him, and/or stabbing him with a knife/knives and/or tying his hands and feet and stuffing a T-shirt deep into his mouth and with intent to steal took one Tedelex television set, one Panasonic car radio/tape, a Wahl hair clipper and a Nokia cellphone. It was further charged that aggravating circumstances were present because the accused were armed with a knife or knives and inflicted grievous bodily injuries to the deceased. It is also alleged in the charge sheet that the accused attempted to steal Stoop’s Ford motor vehicle, a grey suit and short trouser. Stoop choked to death on the T-shirt. In his judgement on the sentences, Judge Siboleka said he took into account that the three accused had spent nine years in custody before the finalisation of the matter, that Kauaria was the facilitator/overseer who planned the robbery of the deceased (her boyfriend) and then discussed it with Erwin, and that George was introduced to Kauaria and asked to help collect her luggage at the house of the deceased on the day of the incident. “Had it not been for accused one the deceased would not have lost his life in that manner,” Judge Siboleka stressed. He added that the two brothers did not know about the romantic relationship between Kauaria and the deceased as well as where he resided. The judge said all three accused were below the age of 30 years when the incident happened, but he stressed that Stoop was an old peaceful person who did not deserve to be killed in such a gruesome manner. He said citizens must feel safe in their own home and must be free to do and go about their privacy in the sanctum of their homes without any interference whatsoever. “This right of freedom must be observed and respected by others out there. Society does not [condone] the pouncing into other people’s homes, disrupting their privacy as well as their overall peace and safety,” Judge Siboleka stated. He said the conduct of the three accused on the day of the incident is unacceptable and in his view society would like to see intruders of this kind severely punished. Louis Karstens appeared for Kauaria, Braam Cupido for Erwin Katjingisua and Monty Karuhaie for Kasorere Katjingisua, all on instructions of legal aid. 2018-04-03Staff Report 2
