I stabbed, but did not mean to kill, says murder suspect

WHEN Gobabis resident Ronny Naobeb stabbed his late girlfriend up to 24 times in a fatal knife attack in late September 2004 he had no intention to kill her, High Court Judge Sylvester Mainga was told at the start of Naobeb’s murder trial in Windhoek yesterday.

Naobeb’s trial got going in the High Court in Windhoek with Naobeb pleading not guilty to murder and a second count of attempted murder. Naobeb (27) is accused of stabbing his former girlfriend, Sesley Esmarelda Swartbooi (24), to death with a knife in the Epako residential area of Gobabis on September 29 2004.He faces a further charge of having tried to murder Ernst Oaeb, who was a neighbour of Swartbooi, by also trying to stab him on the same occasion.In a plea explanation that Naobeb’s defence lawyer, Boris Isaacks, handed to Judge Mainga yesterday, Naobeb admits that he used a knife that he claims to have taken from Swartbooi to carry out the fatal stabbing.He said he stabbed Swartbooi “several times on the body causing her some wounds”.He however did not want to kill her, Naobeb claimed: “The reason why I stabbed her was to injure her and I had no intention to kill her.”After the incident he went to the local Police station to report himself, Naobeb also stated.Naobeb denies the attempted murder charge in full, Isaacks told the Judge.A medical doctor who performed a post-mortem examination on Swartbooi on the day after her death, Dr Samir Kumar Basu, told the court that he found “multiple stab wounds” on her body, especially on her neck, chest, back and arms.A stab wound to the left side of her back that penetrated into her left lung was identified as the fatal wound, Dr Basu said.He testified that he recorded the wounds that he considered to be serious and important.These numbered 13 in all.There however were more wounds as well, he said.If Swartbooi had not received the wound that pierced her left lung, she would have been able to survive the attack, he added.According to Constable Ludwig Kuahee, a Police officer who was at the scene shortly after the incident to take photographs of the scene, and who also took photographs at the autopsy, he counted 24 stab wounds on Swartbooi’s body.He told the court that Oaeb pointed out the scene to him, and that from this information he calculated that the spot where Naobeb is alleged to have first stabbed Swartbooi, and a spot where Swartbooi managed to flee to before Naobeb allegedly again caught up with her, were some 59 metres apart.Swartbooi again fled from the point where Naobeb had allegedly caught up with her to a point some 39 metres away, where she fell to the ground and died, Kuahee told the Judge.The trial continues today.Ruben Shileka is prosecuting.Naobeb is being kept in Police custody.Naobeb (27) is accused of stabbing his former girlfriend, Sesley Esmarelda Swartbooi (24), to death with a knife in the Epako residential area of Gobabis on September 29 2004.He faces a further charge of having tried to murder Ernst Oaeb, who was a neighbour of Swartbooi, by also trying to stab him on the same occasion.In a plea explanation that Naobeb’s defence lawyer, Boris Isaacks, handed to Judge Mainga yesterday, Naobeb admits that he used a knife that he claims to have taken from Swartbooi to carry out the fatal stabbing.He said he stabbed Swartbooi “several times on the body causing her some wounds”.He however did not want to kill her, Naobeb claimed: “The reason why I stabbed her was to injure her and I had no intention to kill her.”After the incident he went to the local Police station to report himself, Naobeb also stated.Naobeb denies the attempted murder charge in full, Isaacks told the Judge.A medical doctor who performed a post-mortem examination on Swartbooi on the day after her death, Dr Samir Kumar Basu, told the court that he found “multiple stab wounds” on her body, especially on her neck, chest, back and arms.A stab wound to the left side of her back that penetrated into her left lung was identified as the fatal wound, Dr Basu said.He testified that he recorded the wounds that he considered to be serious and important.These numbered 13 in all.There however were more wounds as well, he said.If Swartbooi had not received the wound that pierced her left lung, she would have been able to survive the attack, he added.According to Constable Ludwig Kuahee, a Police officer who was at the scene shortly after the incident to take photographs of the scene, and who also took photographs at the autopsy, he counted 24 stab wounds on Swartbooi’s body.He told the court that Oaeb pointed out the scene to him, and that from this information he calculated that the spot where Naobeb is alleged to have first stabbed Swartbooi, and a spot where Swartbooi managed to flee to before Naobeb allegedly again caught up with her, were some 59 metres apart.Swartbooi again fled from the point where Naobeb had allegedly caught up with her to a point some 39 metres away, where she fell to the ground and died, Kuahee told the Judge.The trial continues today.Ruben Shileka is prosecuting.Naobeb is being kept in Police custody.