By Charmaine Boois
Mariental, 14 Nov. – A 39-ear-old Mariental man who allegedly stabbed his 20-year-old niece to death over a phone, made his first appearance in the Mariental Magistrate’s Court on Monday facing a charge of murder.
The incident happened on Thursday evening at the accused’s mother’s home, erf 32 in Ombili settlement.
The suspect, Johannes Swartbooi (39), is said to have been highly intoxicated while drinking with friends at his mother’s house. His niece Renett Karises (20) allegedly could not find her phone and accused Swartbooi of taking and selling it.
The two allegedly got into a heated argument over the phone and Karises hit Swartbooi with a Tassenberg wine bottle and Swartbooi retaliated by stabbing her with a kitchen knife.
Karises died at the scene and Swartbooi was arrested that evening.
Swartbooi appeared before magistrate Anna Katrina Matroos, who denied him bail. Liode Nghixulifua was prosecuting.
The accused applied for legal aid.
Swartbooi’s mother, Martha Hoases, told this reporter they had discovered the phone in his room two days after his arrest and took it to the police station.
Hoases said she thinks he did not do it on purpose and that Karises and Swartbooi had a genuine family relationship.
“I blame it on the alcohol because he was very drunk. I believe that due to his drunkenness, he forgot where he had put the phone.”
Haoses said the deceased was a pleasant person, and everyone in the community knew her for being kind.
Swartbooi will next appear in court on 23 of February, 2023.
