Murder suspect Dean Whatley was 30 years old when he was first arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 25-year-old man, Paul Herman Eixab, at Swakopmund on February 27 1997.

Last week, at the age of 38, with a murder charge for Eixab's death still pending against him, Whatley appeared in a Namibian court once more in preparation for his trial.

Having been released on bail of N$1 000 after his arrest on the day of the fatal stabbing, he skipped the bail and fled to South Africa after his case had already been referred to the High Court for trial in the latter half of 1998.

He remained out of reach of the Namibian justice system until February last year, when the long arm of the law caught up with him once again.

According to Dennis Khama, a Principal Legal Officer in the Ministry of Justice who works at the forefront of extradition matters concerning Namibia, the South African Police arrested Whatley at Alberton on February 28 2004.

That was after the Namibian Government had asked that he be extradited to stand trial in Namibia.

On August 19 last year, a South African court duly declared that Whatley was liable to be surrendered to Namibia, and ordered that he be kept in custody pending an order from the South African Minister of Justice for him to be extradited to Namibia.

Whatley however managed to escape again from the Alberton police holding cells on the same day, Khama related.

On October 15 he was rearrested once more.

Whatley was handed over to Namibia on December 29, and made a first post-extradition appearance in the High Court on the same day, Khama said.

On Thursday, Whatley made another pre-trial appearance in the High Court before Judge Kato van Niekerk.

He was represented by defence lawyer Hennie Barnard.

Public Prosecutor Lovisa Indongo, who appeared for the State, asked that the case be postponed to April 6, which is scheduled to be the starting date of his trial.

Whatley remains in Police custody in the meantime.

He is set to face charges of murder and possession of cannabis.

It is alleged that he stabbed Eixab twice with a pocket knife at Club New Edition at Swakopmund on the evening of February 27 1997.

According to the indictment, Whatley and his wife had been drinking at the club when an argument erupted between him and Eixab.

He allegedly stabbed Eixab twice with a knife before Eixab's brother managed to intervene and restrain Whatley.

Eixab died at the scene from blood loss.

Whatley was also found to have been in possession of dagga at the scene of the stabbing, it is claimed further.

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