Roland Routh
Windhoek-Deputy Prosecutor-General Karin Esterhuizen on Friday asked Judge Alfred Siboleka to sentence Edmund Jagger, the convicted murderer of Renelda Hoeses, to a jail term of at least 30 years.
Jagger was convicted by Judge Siboleka on murder with direct intent on July 21 for killing Renelda Hoeses, who was 22 at the time, at her father’s residence in Otjiwarongo during the late night hours of Friday March 1, 2013 or the early morning hours of March 2, 2013. The deceased died on the spot due to hypovolemic shock caused by the stab wounds.
Jagger did not testify in mitigation and that, Esterhuizen said, showed that he had no remorse about the killing.
During testimony in aggravation of sentence, the father of the deceased Elias Kugab told the court that he is deeply affected by the death of his eldest child, as she was the breadwinner of the family. He said it was not only him that was pained, as the deceased was a well-loved person.
The accused did not only take away the love and protection he and the deceased’s son needed from his mother, but also left the boy a virtual orphan. “I will be able to forgive, but never forget the way my daughter met her death,” Kugab told the court.
Esterhuizen said although the accused is a first offender, the court cannot overlook the fact the offence was committed in a most brutal manner. “The accused left the deceased for death in a pool of blood and then tried to commit suicide to escape the consequences of his actions” she stressed.
She further said that the remorse professed by the State-funded lawyer of the accused, Josua Kaumbi, was mere lip service. “The accused had shown no remorse for the pain and suffering he heaped upon the family of the deceased, especially his son, who now has to suffer because of this misdeed,” Esterhuizen stated.
Kaumbi asked the court to give Jagger a chance to be a part of his son’s life. He said the court should emphasise the aspect of rehabilitation, rather than retribution, as the accused is still very young at the age of 28 and can still contribute to society. He asked the court to consider the fact that Jagger had been in custody for the last four and a half years and to sentence him to a jail term of 24 years.
Judge Siboleka indicated that he will be ready with the sentence on August 29.