A man accused of killing his pregnant wife through an attack on her at Aus in the ||Kharas region near the end of 2014 intends to now admit guilt on a charge of murder.
||Kharas resident Johannes Swartbooi (50) will plead guilty to a charge of murder when his trial starts in the Windhoek High Court, Swartbooi’s defence lawyer, Dawn Marondedze, confirmed when Swartbooi made a pretrial court appearance before judge Philanda Christiaan on Tuesday.
Swartbooi is charged with a count of murder, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act.
The state is alleging that he attacked his wife, Dorothea Riekert (33), in their home at Aus during the night of 24 to 25 December 2014.
Swartbooi is accused of stabbing Riekert at least six times with a knife and kicking her in the face while she was lying in bed, before he fled from the scene.
After the attack, Riekert was transported to a local clinic and thereafter to a hospital at Lüderitz, where she died on 27 December 2014.
“At the time of her death the deceased was four months pregnant,” the state is alleging in the indictment setting out the charge against Swartbooi.
The state also records that Swartbooi and Riekert lived with their five minor children at Aus.
Swartbooi made a number of pretrial appearances in the High Court during 2021, while being free on bail, before he failed to appear in court and a warrant for his arrest was issued in September 2021.
He was rearrested only this year, and returned to the High Court for a further pretrial appearance in August.
Swartbooi also made a court appearance before deputy judge president Hannelie Prinsloo yesterday.
Prinsloo postponed his case to 1 December, when his trial is scheduled to start.
Swartbooi is being held in custody.
