Roland Routh
Windhoek-State Advocate Marthino Olivier yesterday asked Judge Christi Liebenberg to convict Hendrik Nowoseb, 25, on the charge of murder with direct intent, as well as two attempted murder charges when he closed his submissions on the verdict to be delivered.
He already rejected the plea of guilty without direct intent from Nowoseb, who stabbed his former girlfriend multiple times in the upper body and neck while she was recuperating in hospital from a stab wound that Nowoseb had inflicted on her the previous night.
Olivier told Judge Liebenberg the knife Nowoseb stabbed his victims with was a clear indication that he intended to kill the woman who dumped him, and the new man in her life. He pointed out that the accused carried the butcher knife, a 33cm long weapon, in a concealed manner – which shows he had sinister motives with it.
He also questioned the rationale behind the fact that Nowoseb even took the dangerous weapon into a hospital, if it was not to finish what he started the previous evening. “This clearly shows intent,” he argued.
He also said Nowoseb’s claim that he did not know that the deceased moved on was a clear afterthought as he went to the room where the deceased was with the sole intent to kill her and her new lover.
Nowoseb’s legal aid lawyer, Natji Tjirera, did not waste much time on his submissions and informed the court that he stands by his plea explanation, which state that Nowoseb acted out of anger and did not plan the murder.
According to him, Nowoseb’s claim that he carried the knife around for protection as Outjo is a dangerous place could be true.
Nowoseb is facing one count of murder, one of housebreaking with intent to murder and attempted murder, both read with the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act and another count of attempted murder.
According to the State, Nowoseb broke into the room of Willemina Tsauses during the night of December 6, 2014 with the intention to murder Tsauses and stabbed her in her upper body with the intent to kill her and during the same time stabbed the new boyfriend of the deceased, Deodorius Khamuxab, with a knife in his face with the intent to murder him.
The next day, the indictment states, he went to the hospital where Tsauses was recuperating and stabbed her multiple times in her upper body and neck, causing her to die from hypovolemic shock caused by a lung injury sustained during the attack.
Nowoseb pleaded guilty to the murder charge, but denied the attempted murder charges and the breaking and entering charge, as well as intention to commit murder.
Judge Liebenberg yesterday indicated that he will be ready to deliver his judgment on August 15.