Three guilty of prison murder
A sordid sex triangle that turned sour in the Windhoek Correctional Facility has come to an end with three murder convictions.
The three inmates of the Windhoek Correctional Facility, who killed a fellow prisoner after a confrontation in an alleged sex triangle in prison, were found guilty of murder with direct intent.
The deceased, Eddy /Gomxob, died on 18 January 2012 as a result of 11 stab wounds in the chest with a homemade knife as well as head injuries.
The High Court found that the three men, Herman Rukero, 28, Benedictus Afrikaner, 31, and Maleachi Seibeb, 48, had common cause to murder /Gomxob.
“There is sufficient evidence that there is no reasonable doubt that the three men attacked the deceased. There is clear evidence they had the intention to kill,” Judge Dinna Uusiku found.
Uusiku further found them guilty of defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
The accused had at the start of the trial denied guilt but chose to remain silent and not testify in the matter.
She found that Rukero and Afrikaner threatened other prisoners in the cell next to the bathroom where /Gomxob had been killed not to talk about what happened if they themselves did not want to be harmed or killed.
According to her, Rukero and /Gomxob were initially fighting in the prison bathroom.
The court found that Rukero and Afrikaner stabbed /Gomxob with sharpened objects in the bathroom while Seibeb stepped on his head. Uusiku said Seibeb by associating with Rukero and Afrikaner made it common cause to commit the crime. Rukero in his testimony told the court /Gomxob was violent towards him almost on a daily basis after he had broken off their relationship, and he did not receive help from the prison authorities when he reported this abuse from his fellow inmate to them.
On the fateful day in January 2012, Rukero said he found /Gomxob sitting on his (Rukero's) bed, and he told him he wanted to apologise for having mistreated him.
After the conversation Rukero went to the bathroom but /Gomxob later followed and demanded sex, but he refused leading to the fight.
According to the court, Afrikaner joined the fight in the bathroom and without provocation stabbed the deceased with a sharp object while Rukero was no longer in danger. Rukero and the late /Gomxob, who was 33 at the time of his death, had a sexual relationship in prison for about a month during 2009.
It is said that /Gomxob continued to pester Rukero over the next two years after he (Rukero) had ended the relationship. There was also an alleged sexual relationship between Rukero and Afrikaner.
FRED GOEIEMAN
The deceased, Eddy /Gomxob, died on 18 January 2012 as a result of 11 stab wounds in the chest with a homemade knife as well as head injuries.
The High Court found that the three men, Herman Rukero, 28, Benedictus Afrikaner, 31, and Maleachi Seibeb, 48, had common cause to murder /Gomxob.
“There is sufficient evidence that there is no reasonable doubt that the three men attacked the deceased. There is clear evidence they had the intention to kill,” Judge Dinna Uusiku found.
Uusiku further found them guilty of defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
The accused had at the start of the trial denied guilt but chose to remain silent and not testify in the matter.
She found that Rukero and Afrikaner threatened other prisoners in the cell next to the bathroom where /Gomxob had been killed not to talk about what happened if they themselves did not want to be harmed or killed.
According to her, Rukero and /Gomxob were initially fighting in the prison bathroom.
The court found that Rukero and Afrikaner stabbed /Gomxob with sharpened objects in the bathroom while Seibeb stepped on his head. Uusiku said Seibeb by associating with Rukero and Afrikaner made it common cause to commit the crime. Rukero in his testimony told the court /Gomxob was violent towards him almost on a daily basis after he had broken off their relationship, and he did not receive help from the prison authorities when he reported this abuse from his fellow inmate to them.
On the fateful day in January 2012, Rukero said he found /Gomxob sitting on his (Rukero's) bed, and he told him he wanted to apologise for having mistreated him.
After the conversation Rukero went to the bathroom but /Gomxob later followed and demanded sex, but he refused leading to the fight.
According to the court, Afrikaner joined the fight in the bathroom and without provocation stabbed the deceased with a sharp object while Rukero was no longer in danger. Rukero and the late /Gomxob, who was 33 at the time of his death, had a sexual relationship in prison for about a month during 2009.
It is said that /Gomxob continued to pester Rukero over the next two years after he (Rukero) had ended the relationship. There was also an alleged sexual relationship between Rukero and Afrikaner.
FRED GOEIEMAN
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