Oshana butcher escapes double-murder trial

OSHAKATI MERJA IILEKA

Double murder suspect Rudolf Taati Martin, who was facing charges that he killed two of his girlfriends will not stand trial for the crimes after displaying signs of mental illness, including telling a State psychiatrist there were snakes in his head.
A report on his mental state was read into the record during his appearance in the Oshakati Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. The State psychiatrist had suggested in the report that Martin, who is a butcher by trade and was thus referred to as the Oshana butcher in the media, was not liable and accountable for what he did and that he is a danger and risk to society and himself.
Shortly afterward, prosecutor Johanna Kefas requested that Martin be detained as a State patient. Later, Magistrate Stanley Tembwe ruled that Martin was unable to follow the court proceedings and that he should be sent to Windhoek Central Prison as a State patient, pending his treatment.
Martin is accused of killing Frieda Shikongo, 22, on the night of July 22, 2012 by slitting her throat with a panga in his shack at Okandjengedi.
He also pleaded guilty to killing Basilia Shikesho, 23, by stabbing her 27 times with a pocket knife and leaving her body in the veld on the same day as Shikongo's murder.
After allegedly committing both crimes, Martin tried to take his own life by drinking methylated spirits and sleeping pills, but was found in time by the police.
The report and Martin's behavior in court, however, did little to convince people that he was mentally unwell, with many walking out of the court fuming that he was putting on the performance of his life.
“He was completely quiet while the report was being read and started acting up afterwards only to convince those present that the report is true. I know a mentally disturbed person and Rudolph is not one. This is all an act and now we won't get justice,” said a relative of Shikesho after the ruling.
During the evaluation of the 32-year-old suspect, a State psychiatrist from the Windhoek Mental Institution found that Martin displayed “irrelevant speech” and was seen moving in circles while murmuring insensible words.
Martin allegedly also changed his identity and told his psychiatrist that he was 17 years old and did not know why he was at the hospital.
“The patient complained about headaches and would occasionally clap his hands. He said he heard voices in his head of people calling him while he was asleep and that the voices were telling him to give back the goat he killed,” the report stated.
The suspect also confessed to seeing snakes and asked his doctor to put lights in his head to see the snakes inside his head during the evaluation.
He was also limping in one leg and had an injured finger.
During his appearance on Tuesday Martin walked in with a crutch, although he was not limping and took to the stand were he acted mentally disturbed.
Apart from occasionally waving at the people in the gallery and flicking his fingers, Martin spoke as if he was confused.