Son to go on trial for murder of parents

A DATE has been set for the start of the trial of a young Windhoek resident accused of murdering this parents in their home early last year.
Double murder suspect Romeo Schiefer (19) was told that his trial is scheduled to start on October 8 when he made his latest pre-trial appearance in the High Court in Windhoek yesterday. Dates allocated for the trial run from October 8 to 23.

Schiefer is set to stand trial on two counts of murder and a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances.He is accused of murdering his parents, Frans and Francina Schiefer, both 50 years old, at their home in Khomasdal on January 18 last year.Schiefer has pleaded not guilty to the charges.He is also accused of robbng his parents when he allegedly stole a credit card and a document containing the PIN code of the card from them at the time of the killing.The prosecution alleges that an argument erupted between him and one or both of his parents on the evening of January 18 last year.Schiefer allegedly stabbed his mother with knives in the head and neck, took his father’s firearm and shot his father in the head, and also shot his mother at least nine times in the head, neck and body, it is charged. Schiefer will plead not guilty to all the charges, the High Court has been informed in a pre-trial document that has been filed with the court on his behalf.He will also dispute the admissibility and contents of an alleged confession that he made after his arrest, the court has been informed.Defence lawyer Jan Wessels requested in September last year that Schiefer be referred for psychiatric observation by two psychiatrists to establish if he was mentally fit to stand trial.With his last pre-trial appearance in court on January 22, the court was told that State psychiatrist Dr Ndahambelela Mthoko concluded that he was not mentally ill and that he was fit to stand trial.A second report, by State psychiatrist Dr Reuben Japhet, was submitted to the court yesterday. Dr Japhet also concluded that Schiefer was not mentally ill and that he did not suffer from a mental defect at the time of his alleged crimes.He further reported that Schiefer was capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his alleged acts, and that he was capable of acting in accordance with an appreciation of the wrongfulness of his actions.Dr Japhet indicated in his report to the court that Schiefer had expressed remorse to him. ‘He says he feels very bad for the crime he committed,’ the psychiatrist reported.Schiefer was also looking sad, he added.Schiefer has been in custody since his arrest on the day after his parents had been killed.An application by him to be released on bail was refused in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in May last year.werner@namibian.com.na