Twenty-Three stab wounds were recorded on the body of a man who died after being stabbed with a knife in Windhoek in September 2020, a medical doctor has testified in the Windhoek High Court.
Four of the stab injuries observed on the body of Erasmus Mukwiilongo (30) during an autopsy were fatal, medical doctor Mamadi Guriras testified during the trial of murder accused Johannes Iikwiyu on Thursday.
Guriras told judge Philanda Christiaan that she recorded 23 stab wounds on Mukwiilongo’s body during a post-mortem examination.
The injuries included two stab wounds to Mukwiilongo’s chest, with accompanying injuries to his liver and left lung, Guriras said.
Both those injuries were potentially fatal, she said.
She also recorded fatal stab wounds to Mukwiilongo’s groin and left arm. Both those wounds involved arteries that were severed, leading to a fatal loss of blood, Guriras said.
Iikwiyu (39) is denying guilt on charges of murder, malicious damage to property and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
The state is alleging that he murdered Mukwiilongo in a knife attack in the Havana area of Windhoek during the night of 12 to 13 September 2020.
Iikwiyu is also accused of damaging a car of Mukwiilongo by slashing its tyres with a knife after he had stabbed Mukwiilongo.
The state’s first witness in the trial, Philimoni Embula, has told the court that he and Iikwiyu were neighbours and that he also knew Mukwiilongo.
Embula said Iikwiyu arrived at his house during the evening of 12 September 2020, with Mukwiilongo also arriving there with his car afterwards.
A man in Mukwiilongo’s company made a remark that Iikwiyu had made threats and had taken out a knife at a place where they had been previously, Embula recounted.
He also told the court that Mukwiilongo asked if Iikwiyu was still fighting, before Mukwiilongo went to his car to fetch an empty beer bottle, which he broke before trying to stab Iikwiyu with a sharp piece of the bottle.
Mukwiilongo was held back by Iikwiyu’s brother before Iikwiyu and his brother left Embula’s house, Embula related.
He said Mukwiilongo then followed Iikwiyu outside and jumped on him.
Iikwiyu overpowered Mukwiilongo, though, took out a knife and stabbed Mukwiilongo, he said.
When Mukwiilongo realised he had been stabbed, he tried to run away, but fell to the ground, and Iikwiyu then continued to stab him, Embula said.
Mukwiilongo was not armed at that stage, Embula also said. After the stabbing, Iikwiyu approached Mukwiilongo’s car and stabbed its tyres as well, Embula testified.
According to Iikwiyu, who is standing trial without legal representation, he was not at the scene where Mukwiilongo was stabbed, and Embula’s testimony was a fabrication.
The trial is continuing.
State advocate Maria Shilongo is representing the prosecution.
