WINDHOEK - The wife of a man accused of beating a woman to death in Windhoek’s Otjomuise location testified in her husband’s defence yesterday in the Windhoek High Court before Judge Alfred Siboleka.
Margaret Gawaxab confirmed what Elwen Gawaxab has been saying through his privately funded lawyer, Mbanga Siyomunji, that he had on his work clothes, a green trouser and shirt when he left their house the previous evening and that he still had the same clothes on when he arrived home early the next morning, contrary to the evidence of State witnesses that he had put on blue jeans and a white shirt.
She further confirmed Gawaxab brought groceries and that he had long hair and a beard, also contrary to the evidence of witnesses that testified he was clean-shaven and had short hair.
Gawaxab already pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder in July last year whereafter Judge Siboleka granted him a postponement of almost a year as he wanted to get money together for his defence.
He faces the charges for allegedly beating to death Cathy Marlene Gatonye and attempting to kill Thalitha Patricia Khai-Gu Mungunda during August 18 to 21, 2015 in Khomasdal.
According to the charge sheet, the accused met the deceased and her friend at a bar during the late night hours of Tuesday, August 18 and the early morning hours of Wednesday, August 19, 2015. They later left the bar and drove to a service station in Khomasdal.
After refueling the vehicle, the accused withdrew money from a nearby ATM machine and the group continued their journey. Along the way an argument and later a physical fight ensued between the accused and the deceased and Mungunda, and the vehicle was brought to a standstill.
After Mungunda managed to escape, the indictment read, he assaulted the deceased by grabbing her hair/braids, hitting her with fists and or stone on her body and head, kicking her all over her body and head and/or stabbing her with a broken glass bottle.
The deceased died on August 21, 2015 in hospital due to blunt force trauma to the head.
The case will resume on September 5 for submissions on the verdict and Gawaxab is free on bail. State Advocate Cliff Lutibezi prosecutes.