Karibib murder suspect awaits court’s verdict

THE trial of murder suspect Gert Hermanus (‘Hansie’) Losper, who is accused of murdering his wife by shooting her four times in her brother’s house at Karibib almost three years ago, is set to enter a key stage with the delivery of a verdict in the High Court in Windhoek on Wednesday next week.

Judge Collins Parker reserved his judgement in Losper’s trial on Wednesday, after hearing final arguments from State advocate Belinda Wantenaar and defence lawyer Duard Kesslau on the verdict that is to be delivered next week. Losper (56) pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and assault by threat when his trial started before Judge Parker on November 5.He is accused of murdering his wife, Elizabeth Maria (‘Bessie’) Snyders (41), at Karibib on December 8 2004.Snyders died after she was allegedly shot at least four times in her chest and neck.Losper is also accused of having threatened to shoot his wife’s daughter, Chandy Snyders, on the same evening.In his plea, he claimed that he had no recollection of shooting his wife.He stated that, having travelled from Cape Town the day before the incident to visit his wife at Karibib, he did not eat or use his medication for diabetes and heart problems on the way, while he drank “a few beers” on the road and also had three double whiskies at Karibib before he went to see his wife.Kesslau told the Judge that Losper’s defence was that he was in a state of “sane automatism” or “non-pathological criminal incapacity” at the time of the shooting.In his own testimony last week, Losper added that he had gone through periods of which he had no memory on the evening of the incident.He had been “in a trance” most of the time, he claimed.A psychiatrist had been set to be called to testify in Losper’s defence on Wednesday, but Kesslau told the Judge that after he had consulted with the psychiatrist, Losper instructed him not to call her to give evidence any more.In her address to the Judge, Wantenaar argued that the testimony heard during the trial told a story that was quite different from the version narrated in Losper’s plea explanation.She noted that witnesses testified that a letter was found in the house where Snyders had been shot and where Losper thereafter tried without success to commit suicide by shooting himself.The letter was dated December 6 2004.In it Losper appeared to blame Snyders’s family for troubles in his marriage, while he stated in one part: “I know, I sinned, but I could not otherwise.Don’t you now regret, it’s too late now to do anything.”Wantenaar argued that the prosecution has shown that Losper planned “this whole operation” before his departure from Cape Town already, and that this was the reason why he packed a revolver in his luggage when he set off on the journey that led him to Karibib.Having shot Snyders once and then left the house with her daughter to telephone relatives of his from a public phone, Losper then returned to the house where his wife lay in a pool of blood and shot her another three times, “to make sure that she is dead”, before he turned his gun on himself, Wantenaar said.She argued that Losper should be convicted of murder with a direct intention to kill.Kesslau asked that Losper be found not guilty.He said in his testimony, Losper stuck to his version that he could not remember what had happened when the shooting took place.The fact that Losper tried to commit suicide after Snyders had been shot, shows that he was unstable at the time, Kesslau added.He said Losper had testified about his diabetes, heart problems and ill health.Kesslau asked that the court should accept Losper’s evidence as credible and as having laid a reasonable basis for doubt in the court’s mind, which should result in a verdict of not guilty.Losper remains free on bail.Losper (56) pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and assault by threat when his trial started before Judge Parker on November 5.He is accused of murdering his wife, Elizabeth Maria (‘Bessie’) Snyders (41), at Karibib on December 8 2004.Snyders died after she was allegedly shot at least four times in her chest and neck.Losper is also accused of having threatened to shoot his wife’s daughter, Chandy Snyders, on the same evening.In his plea, he claimed that he had no recollection of shooting his wife.He stated that, having travelled from Cape Town the day before the incident to visit his wife at Karibib, he did not eat or use his medication for diabetes and heart problems on the way, while he drank “a few beers” on the road and also had three double whiskies at Karibib before he went to see his wife.Kesslau told the Judge that Losper’s defence was that he was in a state of “sane automatism” or “non-pathological criminal incapacity” at the time of the shooting.In his own testimony last week, Losper added that he had gone through periods of which he had no memory on the evening of the incident.He had been “in a trance” most of the time, he claimed.A psychiatrist had been set to be called to testify in Losper’s defence on Wednesday, but Kesslau told the Judge that after he had consulted with the psychiatrist, Losper instructed him not to call her to give evidence any more.In her address to the Judge, Wantenaar argued that the testimony heard during the trial told a story that was quite different from the version narrated in Losper’s plea explanation.She noted that witnesses testified that a letter was found in the house where Snyders had been shot and where Losper thereafter tried without success to commit suicide by shooting himself.The letter was dated December 6 2004.In it Losper appeared to blame Snyders’s family for troubles in his marriage, while he stated in one part: “I know, I sinned, but I could not otherwise.Don’t you now regret, it’s too late now to do anything.”Wantenaar argued that the prosecution has shown that Losper planned “this whole operation” before his departure from Cape Town already, and that this was the reason why he packed a revolver in his luggage when he set off on the journey that led him to Karibib.Having shot Snyders once and then left the house with her daughter to telephone relatives of his from a public phone, Losper then returned to the house where his wife lay in a pool of blood and shot her another three times, “to make sure that she is dead”, before he turned his gun on himself, Wantenaar said.She argued that Losper should be convicted of murder with a direct intention to kill.Kesslau asked that Losper be found not guilty.He said in his testimony, Losper stuck to his version that he could not remember what had happened when the shooting took place.The fact that Losper tried to commit suicide after Snyders had been shot, shows that he was unstable at the time, Kesslau added.He said Losper had testified about his diabetes, heart problems and ill health.Kesslau asked that the court should accept Losper’s evidence as credible and as having laid a reasonable basis for doubt in the court’s mind, which should result in a verdict of not guilty.Losper remains free on bail.