WINDHOEK - A young man from Leonardville who was merely 17-years- old when he slit the throat of his two- month pregnant girlfriend on Monday admitted during cross-examination in the High Court in his mitigation and aggravation of sentence hearing that he indeed killed the deceased.

After Windhoek High Court Acting Judge Kobus Miller convicted the now 22-years-old David Elrico Kasupi on a charge of murder read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, he suddenly made a U-turn on Monday and confessed to the judge that he was the one who killed Lady Daire, 21, by slitting her throat during the period 4 to 5 January 2015 at Leonardville. 

He previously denied killing the deceased and had claimed in his defence that he came across the deceased in a bushy area near her house and that she was already dead by that time.
The judge rejected this as false beyond reasonable doubt and convicted him of murder with direct intent.
On a question from the judge as to why he killed the deceased, Kasupi only shrugged his shoulders and said, “I cannot say why.”

Further probing by Judge Miller as to why he lured the deceased out just to kill her, extracted the same response.

This caused State advocate Cliff Lutibezi to say that it seems Kasupi just murdered the deceased for the fun of it as no motive is established nor can Kasupi give an explanation why he committed such a horrendous deed.

He went on to say that Kasupi, even though he was still a teenager when he committed the murder should be treated like any other ordinary criminal.

Before Lutibezi submitted however, he called the mother of the deceased, Anna Daire, who asked the judge to send Kasupi to jail for 100 years.

According to her, a severe sentence will put her heart to rest.
She told the court that the deceased was her pillar and that she is lost and her heart is troubling her.
The mother further stated that she is sad and that her living conditions have worsened since the death of the deceased.

Jermaine Muchali, the Legal Aid appointed lawyer for Kasupi asked the court to give Kasupi a second chance.

According to him, the convict is still very young and can be rehabilitated and become a productive member of society if given the chance.

He further said the conduct of Kasupi during and after the incident was that of a confused juvenile.
According to Muchali, there is no doubt that Kasupi will be sent to prison, the question he said, is for how long.

He asked the court not to destroy the life of Kasupi and suggested a sentence of 20 years with five years suspended on condition that he is not convicted of a crime involving the element of this specific crime during the period of suspension.

Lutibezi said to sentence Kasupi to such a lenient sentence will make a mockery of justice and suggested a severe sentence that will remove Kasupi from society for a substantial amount of time and protect society against him and those likeminded.
The judge will deliver his sentence today at 09h00 and Kasupi remains in custody.