Murder suspect’s excuse: ‘I was angry’

ANGER and retaliation were the only reasons murder accused Ronny Naobeb could offer in the High Court in Windhoek on Friday for the deadly stabbing of his girlfriend at Gobabis almost three years ago.

Naobeb (27) on Friday testified in his own defence in his trial, in which he is facing charges of murder and attempted murder. The trial started before Judge Sylvester Mainga on Tuesday, when Naobeb pleaded not guilty to both charges.He is accused of having murdered the 24-year-old Sesley Esmarelda Swartbooi at Gobabis on September 29 2004 by stabbing her numerous times with a knife.Swartbooi was Naobeb’s former girlfriend at the time of the stabbing, according to the prosecution.Naobeb however claimed on Friday that she was still his girlfriend at the time of the fatal incident.In his plea, he admitted that he stabbed Swartbooi, but claimed that he had no intention to kill her.He only wanted to injure her, he claimed.Two Police officers who saw Swartbooi’s body after the incident told the Judge that they counted 24 stab or cut wounds on her.A medical doctor who performed a post-mortem examination on her remains recorded 13 wounds, which he said he considered being the more serious injuries.A stab wound to her back that went into her left lung was the fatal wound, according to the doctor.Naobeb also is accused of having tried to murder Ernst Oaeb, a friend of his who was also a neighbour of Swartbooi, when Oaeb allegedly tried to come to the rescue of Swartbooi at the time of the stabbing.Naobeb flatly denied this alleged attempted murder in his testimony.He told Judge Mainga that he went to Swartbooi’s house on the afternoon of September 29 2004 to ask her about rumours that he had heard about her having a relationship with another man.She denied this, and told him that she had told him only a few days earlier that he was the only one in her life, and then remarked that she was “sick and tired of these endless stories”, Naobeb told the Judge.”That is where our argument started,” he said.He said Swartbooi went into the kitchen next to the room where they had been talking, and came out with a knife in her hand.She stormed at him and made a stabbing motion at him, which he managed to evade, Naobeb said.He grabbed hold of her right arm and took the knife from her.It was a sharpened table knife, Naobeb claimed.Some of the prosecution witnesses who have testified during the trial have claimed that they saw Naobeb stab Swartbooi with a self-made, double-edged knife.When he grabbed the knife from Swartbooi the thought that went through his mind was one of anger, “because she wanted to stab me, and I decided I should do to her what she was intending to do to me,” Naobeb testified.”I stabbed her at the back of the neck,” he said.That happened inside the house.Swartbooi fled out of the house, but tripped at the doorway and fell to the ground outside.Naobeb related that he was standing between her legs as she lay on her back in front of him.He wanted to stab her again, he said, but she grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled his arm away.While he tried to put the knife into his left hand in order to again stab her, she managed to stand up, he said.As she tried to get out of the yard he again stabbed her – this time in the back.”I continued stabbing her,” he said.When he gave a step backwards, she turned and ran out of the yard towards a nearby shop, he said.From the shop, she returned to where he was, and told him, “Ronny, it’s enough now,” and then again ran towards the shop, before she fell to the ground, he testified.When he saw her falling, he looked at her, threw the knife in her direction and walked off, going to the Police to report the incident, Naobeb said.He denied previous testimony that on an earlier occasion he had threatened Swartbooi that he would kill her.The Judge also heard testimony that at the time of the stabbing Naobeb was free on bail on charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and assault by threat that Swartbooi had laid against him in August 2004.What angered him in the first place, Naobeb claimed, was that Swartbooi went to collect a knife when – according to him – he and she had just been having a peaceful talk.”That is what angered me,” he said.After stabbing her a first time in the neck, it was also anger that made him continue with the stabbing, he said.When Judge Mainga asked if he was not yet satisfied after he had stabbed her in the neck, Naobeb answered: “Yes, because I was angry.”He gave a similar answer when State advocate Ruben Shileka told him that his account did not fit the scenario of someone only wanting to injure someone else, since he had inflicted wounds to the most vulnerable parts of the body.”I was angry,” Naobeb again replied.”My intention was just to injure, not to kill.””I did not stab her with force,” he claimed later.Naobeb is scheduled to return to court tomorrow for the hearing of arguments from his defence lawyer, Boris Isaacks, and Shileka on the judgement that Judge Mainga has to deliver on the two charges.He remains in custody.The trial started before Judge Sylvester Mainga on Tuesday, when Naobeb pleaded not guilty to both charges.He is accused of having murdered the 24-year-old Sesley Esmarelda Swartbooi at Gobabis on September 29 2004 by stabbing her numerous times with a knife.Swartbooi was Naobeb’s former girlfriend at the time of the stabbing, according to the prosecution.Naobeb however claimed on Friday that she was still his girlfriend at the time of the fatal incident.In his plea, he admitted that he stabbed Swartbooi, but claimed that he had no intention to kill her.He only wanted to injure her, he claimed.Two Police officers who saw Swartbooi’s body after the incident told the Judge that they counted 24 stab or cut wounds on her.A medical doctor who performed a post-mortem examination on her remains recorded 13 wounds, which he said he considered being the more serious injuries.A stab wound to her back that went into her left lung was the fatal wound, according to the doctor.Naobeb also is accused of having tried to murder Ernst Oaeb, a friend of his who was also a neighbour of Swartbooi, when Oaeb allegedly tried to come to the rescue of Swartbooi at the time of the stabbing.Naobeb flatly denied this alleged attempted murder in his testimony.He told Judge Mainga that he went to Swartbooi’s house on the afternoon of September 29 2004 to ask her about rumours that he had heard about her having a relationship with another man.She denied this, and told him that she had told him only a few days earlier that he was the only one in her life, and then remarked that she was “sick and tired of these endless stories”, Naobeb told the Judge.”That is where our argument started,” he said.He said Swartbooi went into the kitchen next to the room where they had been talking, and came out with a knife in her hand.She stormed at him and made a stabbing motion at him, which he managed to evade, Naobeb said.He grabbed hold of her right arm and took the knife from her.It was a sharpened table knife, Naobeb claimed.Some of the prosecution witnesses who have testified during the trial have claimed that they saw Naobeb stab Swartbooi with a self-made, double-edged knife.When he grabbed the knife from Swartbooi the thought that went through his mind was one of anger, “because she wanted to stab me, and I decided I should do to her what she was intending to do to me,” Naobeb testified.”I stabbed her at the back of the neck,” he said.That happened inside the house.Swartbooi fled out of the house, but tripped at the doorway and fell to the ground outside.Naobeb related that he was standing between her legs as she lay on her back in front of him.He wanted to stab her again, he said, but she grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled his arm away.While he tried to put the knife into his left hand in order to again stab her, she managed to stand up, he said.As she tried to get out of the yard he again stabbed her – this time in the back.”I continued stabbing her,” he said.When he gave a step backwards, she turned and ran out of the yard towards a nearby shop, he said.From the shop, she returned to where he was, and told him, “Ronny, it’s enough now,” and then again ran towards the shop, before she fell to the ground, he testified.When he saw her falling, he looked at her, threw the knife in her direction and walked off, going to the Police to report the incident, Naobeb said.He denied previous testimony that on an earlier occasion he had threatened Swartbooi that he would kill her.The Judge also heard testimony that at the time of the stabbing Naobeb was free on bail on charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and assault by threat that Swartbooi had laid against him in August 2004.What angered him in the first place, Naobeb claimed, was that Swartbooi went to collect a knife when – according to him – he and she had just been having a peaceful talk.”That is what angered me,” he said.After stabbing her a first time in the neck, it was also anger that made him continue with the stabbing, he said.When Judge Mainga asked if he was not yet satisfied after he had stabbed her in the neck, Naobeb answered: “Yes, because I was angry.”He gave a similar answer when State advocate Ruben Shileka told him that his account did not fit the scenario of someone only wanting to injure someone else, since he had inflicted wounds to the most vulnerable parts of the body.”I was angry,” Naobeb again replied.”My intention was just to injure, not to kill.””I did not stab her with force,” he claimed later.Naobeb is scheduled to return to court tomorrow for the hearing of arguments from his defence lawyer, Boris Isaacks, and Shileka on the judgement that Judge Mainga has to deliver on the two charges.He remains in custody.