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Strangler denies rape, murder charges

2020-07-31  Roland Routh

Strangler denies rape, murder charges

A Gobabis resident, who allegedly brutally raped and killed Magdalena Gamras in June 2016 at the eastern town of Gobabis, testified in his defence on Wednesday in the Windhoek High Court before Acting Judge Kobus Miller.
In the dock, Rooinasie Masuna (28) had already pleaded not guilty to one count of murder read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act and one count of rape during his first appearance before Miller in September last year.
It is alleged by the State that Masuna strangled to death Gamras – who was aged 26 and eight months pregnant at the time – on 9 June 2016 after he had raped her.

Gamras went out with her friends during the fateful night, and during the late-night hours or early morning hours of the next morning, she decided to walk home alone.
On her way, the State charges, she met Masuna, who raped her and then strangled her with his bare hands, causing her to die as a result of manual strangulation.  

Yesterday, he continued with his denial, saying the last time he saw the victim, she was still alive, although in a drunken state and on the verge of unconsciousness.
He told the court that on the morning of 9 June 2016, he went to work and left the victim at home. When he returned from work that afternoon, the victim was not at home and he went looking for her, eventually finding her at a bar, where she was drinking in the company of other men.
They then proceeded to walk home – and after walking for a while, she went to relieve herself. When she returned, an argument erupted between them. According to Masuna, the victim grabbed him on his shirt collar and he put both his hands around her throat and started to squeeze to break her hold on him.

“I throttled her for about three minutes so she can let go of me and when I released my grip, she collapsed onto the ground in a sitting position,” he told the court.
During cross-examination, State Advocate Ethel Ndlovu told Masuna the only reason he left the unconscious and heavily pregnant Gamras in the veld was that he knew she was dead and that he had killed her.

She also told him none of the witnesses who were with Gamras during the night in question testified they saw him at the bar where they were, and that according to a police officer who took down his statement, he approached the bar in a covert manner.
The matter was remanded to this Friday for submissions on the verdict and Masuna, who is represented by Mbanga Siyomunji on instructions of the Legal Aid, remains in police custody at the trial awaiting section of the Windhoek Correctional Facility.
– rrouth@nepc.com.na


2020-07-31  Roland Routh

Tags: Khomas
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