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Monday, April 29, 2002 - Web posted at 9:02:28 pm GMT

From Court, In Short

Dope-crazed killer jailed

A 20-year-old Rundu resident, Nsinano Johannes Siwambo, received an effective prison term of 12 years last Monday after he was convicted in the Rundu Regional Court on charges of murder and assault.

During the trial, Magistrate Christie Liebenberg was told that Siwambo went into a frenzy that alternated between the suicidal and the homicidal after he smoking dagga at the Kehemu Compound at Rundu on the evening of October 21 1999. Siwambo admitted he had smoked cannabis, but said he still knew what he was doing.The smoked-up Siwambo became angry with his step-family, the court was told. This prompted him to approach two of his stepbrothers and ask them to kill him by hitting him with a stone and a spade respectively. Both refused. When the first stepbrother didn't comply, Siwambo aimed a near-miss blow at his head with a stone. He then attacked his mother, before he set upon his 15-year-old stepbrother, Simon Sikerete Katura, with the spade, killing him.Noting that Katura had been in custody since 1999, Magistrate Liebenberg sentenced him to 15 years' imprisonment for murder of which three years were suspended, and to a concurrent prison term of three months for the assault of his mother. Siwambo was given a warning over the assault on the other brother.

Three kudu trappers get fined

THREE farmworkers were last week found guilty in the Karibib Magistrate's Court of illegal hunting. They were each sentenced to a fine of N$700 or six months' imprisonment.Lukas Shimaho (46), Godfried Ngeauna (46) and Frans Shingombe (36) caught two kudu by using snares on the farm Albrechtshoehe of Paul Meyer in August 2000. They were in the employ of Meyer at the time and were arrested on August 3 2000. Magistrate Helena Namushinga found all three guilty last Wednesday. Ngeauna and Shingombe paid the fine. Shimaho was still in custody on Friday.

A wolf in guard's clothing

A SECURITY guard from Karibib who was found guilty on a charge of theft received a serious warning in the Karibib Magistrate's Court last week. Lieb Taljaard (33), who worked as security guard at the Total Supermarket, stole six 300 g tins of corned meat and one bar of Dove cream soap on April 18 this year. He pleaded guilty in court last week Tuesday and received a serious warning from Magistrate Helena Namushinga.

Bail granted after car theft verdict

A YOUNG Windhoek woman, Roselle Linde (25), was granted bail of N$500 in the Windhoek Regional Court on Wednesday, pending her appeal against a conviction of stealing a vehicle.Magistrate Gert Retief last month convicted her on a charge that she stole a Toyota Corolla 160i from Imperial Car Hire in Windhoek on June 1 1999.Magistrate Retief sentenced her to an effective prison term of three years. Linde denied the charge. It was claimed that she stole the car - which was later seen bearing different number plates in her yard according to witnesses - after she was supposed to deliver it back to Imperial Car Hire. When the company's employees tried to locate the car where she had said she had parked it, they found only an empty parking spot.

Ex-cop's appeal dismissed

FORMER Namibian Police Sergeant Berens Ganeb's appeal against being convicted of stealing 5 000 British pounds was dismissed in the High Court on Friday. Ganeb and a co-accused were found guilty in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court and sentenced to a fine of N$8 000 or two years' imprisonment in March 1999. They were convicted of stealing money from a British gem dealer in Windhoek on June 28 1998. Ganeb did not pay the fine and served the prison term. He later lodged an appeal, which was on Friday rejected by Acting Judge Petrus Unengu and Judge Annel Silungwe. Ganeb claimed he was the victim of a plot to frame him. The Judges were, however, satisfied that he had been correctly convicted. Acting Judge Unengu noted that Ganeb was found with a wad of the pound notes he was accused of stealing stuffed into his socks and into his shirt pocket.

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