Gobabis murder accused John Mutirua says knife only ‘touched’ victim

A Gobabis resident accused of killing two people in separate stabbing incidents says a knife he was holding only “touched” the second of his alleged victims.

“I pushed him away while having the knife in my hand. That’s how he was touched by the knife,” John Mutirua (23), who is being prosecuted on 14 charges, told acting judge Makapa Simasiku when he testified in his own defence in the Windhoek High Court yesterday.

Mutirua told the judge he was afraid of a violent reaction from a fellow Gobabis resident, Albertus Maasdorp, when he asked Maasdorp about blankets that had been taken from his (Mutirua’s) home.

According to Mutirua, Maasdorp tried to grab him after he had asked Maasdorp about the blankets, and after pushing Maasdorp away from him he ran away and threw away the knife he had with him.

“I didn’t stab him. I pushed him away,” Mutirua said.

The state is alleging that Mutirua stabbed Maasdorp (37) in the chest at a bar in the Epako area of Gobabis on 16 July 2023. Maasdorp was fatally injured when he was stabbed.

Mutirua is also accused of stabbing another man at Gobabis on the same day, and of robbing Maasdorp by taking N$1 300 from him before the stabbing.

Mutirua denied guilt on all of the 14 charges he is facing when his trial began before Simasiku in May this year.

In addition to the charges linked to the alleged events of 16 July 2023, Mutirua is also accused of murdering Meno Tjizera (19) by stabbing him in the chest in the Epako area during the night of 30 to 31 October 2020.

He is further accused of kidnapping three children at Gobabis on 23 September 2018, and raping one of the children – a nine-year-old girl – after abducting her.

The state is alleging that Mutirua raped the girl and caused a boy to commit a sexual act with her as well, before fleeing from the scene where he had tied up the children.

The charges against Mutirua include two counts of murder, five charges of rape, two counts of attempted murder, a count of abduction and two charges of kidnapping.

On the abduction, kidnapping and rape charges, Mutirua said he was not at the scene where the girl was allegedly raped. He spent that day at home, where he helped someone work on cars, he said.

When defence lawyer Ileni Velikoshi asked him about forensic evidence indicating that his DNA was found on the girl who was allegedly raped, Mutirua said her private parts would have been injured if he had raped her.

Mutirua denied that he stabbed Tjizera at the end of October 2020.

He recounted that he went to a house where a wedding celebration was taking place to get his cellphone from a friend, and at the house two of his friends took away a knife he had with him after he got into an argument with the friend who had his phone.

Mutirua said when he left the house he found some people arguing outside, before they started to throw stones and bottles at each other.

He was struck by a bottle at the back of his neck, and after that was taken home, Mutirua testified.

He continued that after some of his friends arrived at his home later, one of them told him he had stabbed the person who had thrown the bottle at Mutirua.

However, the person who admitted that he carried out the stabbing was a state witness who told the court he had seen Mutirua stabbing Tjizera.

That witness – and others who said he stabbed Tjizera – lied to the court, Mutirua claimed.
The trial is continuing.

Deputy prosecutor general Maria Shilongo is representing the state.
Mutirua is being held in custody.

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