15 years for double knife killing

A LEONARDVILLE resident who used not just one but two knives to stab a 19-year-old man to death in late 2004, was convicted of murder and sentenced to a 15-year jail term by the Gobabis Regional Court last week.

The trial of Pienaar Haoseb (26) was concluded before Magistrate Dinnah Usiku on Wednesday, when the Magistrate found him guilty of murder with direct intent to kill. Haoseb admitted that he had inflicted the fatal stabbing wounds that claimed the life of Otto David Rooi (19) at Leonardville on December 8 2004.He however claimed that he had acted in self-defence – a claim that the Magistrate rejected.During the trial, the court heard that some of the staple ingredients of a large proportion of murder cases in Namibia were present in Haoseb’s case: alcohol, an argument involving a woman and insults, and, finally, a deadly sharp instrument.The court heard that Haoseb had left a bucket of traditional tombo brew with Rooi’s girlfriend on the day of the incident.Later that day, he fetched the brew from her, but still later he had returned and asked where his tombo was.When she told him he had already fetched it, he started swearing at her, prompting Rooi to intervene and tell him not to talk to her in such a rude way.Rooi and his girlfriend later went to a drinking spot at the town.On their return, they encountered Haoseb.He was armed, and had a knife in each of his hands.Haoseb attacked Rooi with the knives, stabbing him with both weapons in the chest before running away from the scene.A vehicle that arrived at the scene was used to take the mortally wounded Rooi to the town’s Police station.As the vehicle drove there, Haoseb started running after it, the court heard.At the Police station itself, he tried to attack Rooi’s girlfriend too, but the Police intervened and arrested him.Haoseb stood trial without legal representation.Public Prosecutor Brownwell Uirab represented the State.Haoseb admitted that he had inflicted the fatal stabbing wounds that claimed the life of Otto David Rooi (19) at Leonardville on December 8 2004.He however claimed that he had acted in self-defence – a claim that the Magistrate rejected.During the trial, the court heard that some of the staple ingredients of a large proportion of murder cases in Namibia were present in Haoseb’s case: alcohol, an argument involving a woman and insults, and, finally, a deadly sharp instrument.The court heard that Haoseb had left a bucket of traditional tombo brew with Rooi’s girlfriend on the day of the incident.Later that day, he fetched the brew from her, but still later he had returned and asked where his tombo was.When she told him he had already fetched it, he started swearing at her, prompting Rooi to intervene and tell him not to talk to her in such a rude way.Rooi and his girlfriend later went to a drinking spot at the town.On their return, they encountered Haoseb.He was armed, and had a knife in each of his hands.Haoseb attacked Rooi with the knives, stabbing him with both weapons in the chest before running away from the scene.A vehicle that arrived at the scene was used to take the mortally wounded Rooi to the town’s Police station.As the vehicle drove there, Haoseb started running after it, the court heard.At the Police station itself, he tried to attack Rooi’s girlfriend too, but the Police intervened and arrested him.Haoseb stood trial without legal representation.Public Prosecutor Brownwell Uirab represented the State.