Groenliggies beer crate murder trial postponed

THE murder trial of a Keetmanshoop resident accused of fatally stabbing 29-year-old Josef Mechiza over an empty beer crate has been postponed until September 18 for the defense to submit arguments.

Mechiza was stabbed with a broken beer bottleneck on January 9 2005 at Club Groenliggies in Keetmanshoop’s Kronlein surburb. During his trial in the Keetmanshoop Regional Court on Monday, Leon April pleaded not guilty to a murder charge.He claimed a quarrel had broken out between him and Mechiza when the deceased falsely accused him of stealing an empty beer crate belonging to the YB Inn Club, where Mechiza was employed. Admitting that he stabbed Mechiza with a broken beer bottleneck, April told the court that he did so to end Mechiza’s provocation. April claimed that the deceased had on several occasions provoked him to fight.’I told him that I’m tired and do not want to fight,’ April told the court. According to April, before he stabbed Mechiza in the neck, friends of his had to separate them numerous times during a protracted scuffle. ‘On three occasions the deceased threw me to the ground, but I did not fight back because I didn’t want to,’ he said. An autopsy indicated two stab wounds, to the deceased’s neck and upper back. April further testified that he left with friends to go to Club Groenliggies to avoid a fight with Mechiza.He said Mechiza later turned up at Club Groenliggies and again started to heckle him over the beer crate.April claimed the owner of Club Groenliggies evicted Mechiza from the club to avoid a fight, but he jumped over a fence to start a fight with him. ‘I warned the deceased that I would stab him when he approached me, but he grabbed my throat and pushed me against the fence where he started to throttle me, forcing me to stab him to loosen his grip on my throat,’ April told the court. State Prosecutor Veiko Alexander requested Magistrate Alfred Siboleka convict April on a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.He argued there was no evidence to conclude that Mechiza’s death was caused by the actions of April. According to Alexander, evidence was lacking because the doctor who had performed the autopsy had since died and thus could not testify in court. Arguing that the State’s case rested on the evidence of a single witness, Alexander requested Magistrate Siboleka not to reject the witness’ evidence, despite some material discrepancies. ‘There were no grounds for the accused to stab the deceased, because he was not in danger since he had ample time to break the bottle to stab the deceased,’ Alexander added. April remains free on bail. Lawyer Percy MacNully, of the Lentin Botma and Van den Heever firm, represents April. luqman@namibian.com.na