‘Dippenaar must pay’

“He [Dippenaar] must pay. I would never be able to forgive him,” Jan-Karel Horn, the father of JC Horn, who was killed in a car crash caused by Jandre Dippenaar in December 2014, said during a pre-sentencing hearing at the Swakopmund Regional Court yesterday. Horn and Antonia Joschko were the two witnesses called by the State to testify during the hearing, which began on Tuesday. Dippenaar was found guilty earlier this year on six counts of murder, reckless and negligent driving, as well as driving without a valid driver&#039;s license, in connection with the crash that claimed the lives of Dinah Pretorius, Charlene Schoombee, JC Horn, Markus, Stephanie and Alexandra Joschko.‘Cannot forgive’Tearfully, Horn urged the court to hold Dippenaar accountable for his actions.“My son, who worked for me at the time, spent a lot of time on the road. He told me one day that since he was on the road so often, he would most likely die in a car accident because of the recklessness of others. He added that God must help him so that he does not burn to death,” Horn said. “His biggest fear came true. He was burnt alive in that car due to the recklessness and carelessness of another person, and for that, that man must pay.“I could never forgive him. The court has found him guilty of murder – he must be punished for what he did wrong. Our lives have been a living hell for the past nine years and eight months. We have been deprived of everything that a parent is supposed to enjoy with their children: birthdays, Christmas, family get-togethers.”Horn also emphasised that, as a family, they want to see the matter finalised.“This court case has been dragging on for years with postponements, and we cannot handle it anymore. He (Dippenaar) must be removed from society."“My son was my best friend. My two sons and I were like brothers. The two brothers worshipped each other. My eldest son doesn’t even talk about what happened to his brother; he doesn’t come to court. My wife is a wreck. Before we had JC, my wife had five miscarriages. We do need to accept that our children are dead – that’s the reality of life – but I cannot forgive him. I know that is what is expected, but it’s impossible. I can be punished later by God – so be it.”No apology or remorseAntonia Joschko (26) testified that her entire family – every single person who was important to her – was taken away when they died in the crash. “I had to grow up very quickly.”She added that she still suffers from flashbacks, especially when travelling on Namibian roads.“He never reached out to tender his condolences to me or apologize. He never did," she said in regards to Dippenaar."It’s been so many years; he could have sent a letter or apologised when we crossed paths here at court. He never took responsibility or showed remorse for what he took from me. This was clear in the way his lawyer treated me, accusing me of lying during cross-examination and accusing my dad of wrongdoing. They were using intimidation and delay tactics in the civil matter as well. One of his family members even attacked me verbally, saying all of this is my fault when all I did was sit in the back of a car.”She added that for almost ten years, Dippenaar has been continuing with his life as if nothing happened.“I hope to see that he is held accountable for what he has done and that he can’t walk off without being punished or some form of justice for us.”The defence called Dippenaar himself to the witness stand, where he apologised to the Horn family, saying, “I too miss JC more than you could ever know.”He also apologised to Joschko, saying that he was truly sorry for what had happened.The matter was postponed to today, when the defence will call two more witnesses, one of whom is psychologist Dr William Aldeman.Oral submissions by the State and defence teams are expected to be made on Thursday, while magistrate Gaynor Poulton is expected to deliver her sentencing decision on Friday.

‘Dippenaar must pay’

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Namibian Sun 2025-02-24

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‘Dippenaar must pay’

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Namibian Sun 2025-02-24

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