13-year prison term for fatal stabbing

A FATHER of five children who stabbed a woman to death during a quarrel at a cuca shop in the Outapi district more than two years ago received an effective 13-year prison term when his murder trial ended in the High Court at Oshakati on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old Sem Veikko Iikali, from Eenkondombali village in the Omusati Region, pleaded guilty to a charge of murder when his trial started before Judge Louis Muller in the High Court at Oshakati on Monday. He admitted that he stabbed Josephina Mwadhina Johannes (34), also from Eenkondombali village, to death on September 17 2005 after a quarrel.The court heard that on that day, Johannes and another woman were quarrelling at Oshege cuca shop at Eenkondombali village.Iikali intervened and Johannes then started to quarrel with him, too.Iikali told her that he would not allow a woman to argue with him.He then took a piece of wood and hit Johannes with it on the left side of her ribcage.She retaliated by throwing a glass of water at him, injuring one of his thumbs in the process.Iikali then stabbed Johannes twice in the chest.Johannes was taken to Okahao Hospital where she died later.Dr Armando Ricado, who conducted a post mortem examination on Johannes, told the court that he found three wounds on her, but that she died because of two stab wounds to the chest.She had been stabbed in the heart, the court heard.This week, Iikali said he had killed Johannes because she threw water at him and hit him with a glass.Iikali told the cout that he did not feel good about killing Johannes.He pleaded to be given a fully suspended sentence.He told the Judge that he is married in terms of common law and has five children ranging in age from three to 15 years.Iikali said he was self-employed making traditional mahangu baskets and constructing roofs for houses.He said his wife is unemployed and if he is sent to jail, he does not know who would look after his family.Defence counsel Frieda Kishi, who represented Iikali on instructions from the Directorate of Legal Aid, conceded he had committed a serious offence and that he should be sentenced to a period in jail.She argued that there had been some provocation when Johannes threw water at Iikali, who she said had also shown remorse by pleading guilty and not wasting the court’s time.Deputy Prosecutor General Heidi Jacobs in turn argued that Iikali’s personal circumstances were not so significant that they could overshadow the crime and the interests of society and argued for a a severe sentence .It cannot be ignored that that a living person who most probably also had dependants died because of Iikali’s conduct, Judge Muller said during the sentencing.The Judge remarked that according to some witnesses, Iikali did much more than he was prepared to tell the court.He told Iikali that people on the scene tried to stop him from beating or stabbing Johannes, but that he resisted and just continued with his actions until he killed her.”I have no doubt that he intended to kill her as he pleaded,” Judge Muller said.He added that he accepted that society would expect that a person who committed murder in the manner that Iikali had done, would be severely punished.Judge Muller sentenced Iikali to 18 years’ imprisonment, of which five years were suspended for a period of five years on condition that Iikali is not convicted of murder or culpable homicide within the period of suspension.He admitted that he stabbed Josephina Mwadhina Johannes (34), also from Eenkondombali village, to death on September 17 2005 after a quarrel.The court heard that on that day, Johannes and another woman were quarrelling at Oshege cuca shop at Eenkondombali village.Iikali intervened and Johannes then started to quarrel with him, too.Iikali told her that he would not allow a woman to argue with him.He then took a piece of wood and hit Johannes with it on the left side of her ribcage.She retaliated by throwing a glass of water at him, injuring one of his thumbs in the process.Iikali then stabbed Johannes twice in the chest.Johannes was taken to Okahao Hospital where she died later.Dr Armando Ricado, who conducted a post mortem examination on Johannes, told the court that he found three wounds on her, but that she died because of two stab wounds to the chest.She had been stabbed in the heart, the court heard.This week, Iikali said he had killed Johannes because she threw water at him and hit him with a glass.Iikali told the cout that he did not feel good about killing Johannes.He pleaded to be given a fully suspended sentence.He told the Judge that he is married in terms of common law and has five children ranging in age from three to 15 years.Iikali said he was self-employed making traditional mahangu baskets and constructing roofs for houses.He said his wife is unemployed and if he is sent to jail, he does not know who would look after his family.Defence counsel Frieda Kishi, who represented Iikali on instructions from the Directorate of Legal Aid, conceded he had committed a serious offence and that he should be sentenced to a period in jail.She argued that there had been some provocation when Johannes threw water at Iikali, who she said had also shown remorse by pleading guilty and not wasting the court’s time.Deputy Prosecutor General Heidi Jacobs in turn argued that Iikali’s personal circumstances were not so significant that they could overshadow the crime and the interests of society and argued for a a severe sentence .It cannot be ignored that that a living person who most probably also had dependants died because of Iikali’s conduct, Judge Muller said during the sentencing.The Judge remarked that according to some witnesses, Iikali did much more than he was prepared to tell the court.He told Iikali that people on the scene tried to stop him from beating or stabbing Johannes, but that he resisted and just continued with his actions until he killed her.”I have no doubt that he intended to kill her as he pleaded,” Judge Muller said.He added that he accepted that society would expect that a person who committed murder in the manner that Iikali had done, would be severely punished.Judge Muller sentenced Iikali to 18 years’ imprisonment, of which five years were suspended for a period of five years on condition that Iikali is not convicted of murder or culpable homicide within the period of suspension.