Tsumeb doctor killer pleads guilty

FORMER farmworker Josef Naseb, who is accused of murdering Tsumeb medical doctor Andries van Coller at his farm near the eastern boundary of the Etosha National Park in February 2005, pleaded guilty to a count of murder and seven other charges when his trial began in the High Court in Windhoek yesterday.

The 51-year-old Naseb’s trial started before Acting Judge Hosea Angula with Naseb’s defence counsel, Unanisa Hengari, informing the court that Naseb was pleading guilty to a charge of murder, two counts of housebreaking with intent to steal and theft, three other counts of theft, a charge of theft out of a motor vehicle, and a count of negligent discharge of a firearm. The State, represented by Deputy Prosecutor-General Heidi Jacobs, accepted Naseb’s plea, and Acting Judge Angula convicted Naseb on the eight charges on the basis of his plea.When Acting Judge Angula asked Naseb if he confirmed his lawyer’s statement that he intended to plead guilty, Naseb replied through a court interpreter: “Yes, I plead guilty.It’s something wrong that I did, and I do not have anything else to say on that.”Naseb is scheduled to return to court today for the hearing of arguments from Hengari and Jacobs on the sentence is to be handed to him for the crimes he admitted.In a plea explanation read out by Hengari, Naseb admitted that he shot Van Coller (66) at the latter’s farm, Verweg, some 65 kilometres northwest of Tsumeb, on February 2 2005.Naseb admitted that he shot Van Coller, who he said was unarmed, from the back.He stated that he shot the doctor three times, and that he was not provoked or acting in self-defence when he did this.He also admitted that on February 2 2005 he had broken into a garage on the farm, that he then used a hammer to break open a steel cabinet, and that he stole four rifles from this cabinet.He further admitted that on the same day he broke into Van Coller’s house at the farm and stole a list of items – including beer, bedding, clothing, knives, a pistol, a radio, a camera, binoculars and also a photo of Van Coller – out of the house.Out of Van Coller’s car, Naseb admitted, he stole food, cooking oil and a packet of soap.Naseb also admitted that after he had shot dead Van Coller, he stole the doctor’s wallet out of a back pocket of his trousers.There was N$400 in the wallet, Naseb informed the court through his plea explanation.Naseb denied that he had tried to murder a fellow worker at the farm, Phillipus Shitelana, by shooting him in the stomach on the same day.In that respect, he pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of negligent discharge of a firearm instead.In addition to those charges, Naseb was accused of having broken into a room of Shitelana and another worker at the farm, Hendrik Haneb, and stealing items worth some N$1 270 in all from there.Naseb pleaded guilty to two charges of theft, rather than housebreaking and theft, in respect of these charges.He explained that he and the two workers stayed in the same room and that he broke into the room by breaking a window in order to gain access because he wanted to retrieve some of his own possessions from there.He then however also took things belonging to his fellow workers, he admitted.Naseb’s plea statement ended with a request to the court “to show mercy and leniency”, and a vow from Naseb never to repeat the same offences.Naseb has only one previous conviction registered on his record with the Police, Jacobs told Acting Judge Angula.That is a conviction on a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, for which he was sentenced to a six-month prison term on July 29 2004.Naseb was arrested at Tsumeb on February 4 2004.The Police at the town told The Namibian a few days later that when he was arrested, Naseb was found wearing clothes that he is alleged to have stolen from Van Coller’s house.Naseb had been employed by Van Coller on the day before the incident, the Police also reported.Naseb has remained in custody from the day of his arrest.The State, represented by Deputy Prosecutor-General Heidi Jacobs, accepted Naseb’s plea, and Acting Judge Angula convicted Naseb on the eight charges on the basis of his plea.When Acting Judge Angula asked Naseb if he confirmed his lawyer’s statement that he intended to plead guilty, Naseb replied through a court interpreter: “Yes, I plead guilty.It’s something wrong that I did, and I do not have anything else to say on that.”Naseb is scheduled to return to court today for the hearing of arguments from Hengari and Jacobs on the sentence is to be handed to him for the crimes he admitted.In a plea explanation read out by Hengari, Naseb admitted that he shot Van Coller (66) at the latter’s farm, Verweg, some 65 kilometres northwest of Tsumeb, on February 2 2005.Naseb admitted that he shot Van Coller, who he said was unarmed, from the back.He stated that he shot the doctor three times, and that he was not provoked or acting in self-defence when he did this.He also admitted that on February 2 2005 he had broken into a garage on the farm, that he then used a hammer to break open a steel cabinet, and that he stole four rifles from this cabinet.He further admitted that on the same day he broke into Van Coller’s house at the farm and stole a list of items – including beer, bedding, clothing, knives, a pistol, a radio, a camera, binoculars and also a photo of Van Coller – out of the house.Out of Van Coller’s car, Naseb admitted, he stole food, cooking oil and a packet of soap.Naseb also admitted that after he had shot dead Van Coller, he stole the doctor’s wallet out of a back pocket of his trousers.There was N$400 in the wallet, Naseb informed the court through his plea explanation.Naseb denied that he had tried to murder a fellow worker at the farm, Phillipus Shitelana, by shooting him in the stomach on the same day.In that respect, he pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of negligent discharge of a firearm instead.In addition to those charges, Naseb was accused of having broken into a room of Shitelana and another worker at the farm, Hendrik Haneb, and stealing items worth some N$1 270 in all from there.Naseb pleaded guilty to two charges of theft, rather than housebreaking and theft, in respect of these charges.He explained that he and the two workers stayed in the same room and that he broke into the room by breaking a window in order to gain access because he wanted to retrieve some of his own possessions from there.He then however also took things belonging to his fellow workers, he admitted.Naseb’s plea statement ended with a request to the court “to show mercy and leniency”, and a vow from Naseb never to repeat the same offences.Naseb has only one previous conviction registered on his record with the Police, Jacobs told Acting Judge Angula.That is a conviction on a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, for which he was sentenced to a six-month prison term on July 29 2004.Naseb was arrested at Tsumeb on February 4 2004.The Police at the town told The Namibian a few days later that when he was arrested, Naseb was found wearing clothes that he is alleged to have stolen from Van Coller’s house.Naseb had been employed by Van Coller on the day before the incident, the Police also reported.Naseb has remained in custody from the day of his arrest.