2017-08-25Staff Report 2 Roland Routh Windhoek Two new murder cases, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, started with pre-trial proceedings in the Windhoek High Court yesterday before Judge Christi Liebenberg. One involved an accused that killed a boy he had believed to be his own son, until he heard rumours to the contrary after his break-up with the biological mother of the boy. The State alleges that Simon Muno Reeves Dawid, 46, killed Athanosius Katholo Reeves Simbo who was four years old at the time of his demise in a fit of rage, after he discovered he was not the biological father of the boy. According to the indictment, the mother of the boy and the accused were in a romantic relationship at the time of the boy’s birth on August 20, 2010 and the mother had informed him it was his child. During 2012 the relationship between the mother of the boy and the accused ended and the boy remained in the custody of the accused, who cared for him as a father and he shared a residence with the boy, who was financially dependent on the accused. But, according to the indictment, the accused became worried about rumours that he was not the boy’s biological father and on July 07, 2015 after a visit with friends, he locked himself and the boy in his residence in Katutura and proceeded to hit and throw the boy on the ground and against the wall of his residence, killing him due to blunt force trauma to the head. Subsequent DNA tests confirmed the boy was not the biological son of the accused. Dawid faces a charge of murder read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act. He is represented by Mbanga Siyomunji on instructions from legal aid. In the other case, a former detective inspector and head of the Gobabis-Epako Crime Investigations Unit made his first appearance on charges of murder, attempted murder, possession of a firearm without a licence, possession of ammunition without a licence, malicious damage to property and theft, all read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act. Lazarus Oscar Aweseb is alleged to have killed 18-year-old Odilo Rathebe Motonane on March 22, 2016 during a jealous rage and also to have shot Mildred Haoses with the intent to kill her, in addition to destroying a home theatre system, television set and DVD player of Haoses. He is also charged with the arms and ammunition counts for having the police issue pistol and ammunition without consent. According to the indictment, Aweseb and Haoses started a romantic relationship during 2015 while she and the deceased were already in an intimate relationship. It is further stated in the indictment that Haoses ended the relationship with the accused a few days prior to the incident, while continuing her relationship with the deceased. This, the indictment reads, caused the accused to arrive at the residence of Haoses where she and the deceased were and he damaged her belongings. He then allegedly returned during the early morning hours of March 22, 2016 armed with a loaded pistol and fired at least five shots at Haoses and the deceased. Haoses was hit three times in her thigh and leg and managed to flee from her shack, but the deceased was shot twice in his back and died on the scene. The accused allegedly tried to commit suicide by shooting himself, but failed and was arrested at the scene. Advocate Antonia Verhoef is handling the pre-trial proceedings on behalf of the prosecutor-general and both matters were remanded to September 21 for another pre-trial hearing. 2017-08-25Staff Report 2
