Eba Kandovazu
A 42-year-old man who allegedly killed his girlfriend last Saturday at Outjo and delivered the lifeless body to her mother’s house was denied bail this morning when he made his first court appearance.
PIET Gamaseb is accused of hitting Duffie Hannes with an iron bar on the head at the couple’s home in the early hours of Saturday. He allegedly took the deceased’s body to her mother’s house in a borrowed wheelbarrow.
Preliminary police investigations suggest that Hannes suffered multiple head injuries.
Gamaseb has since been charged with murder and has opted to apply for legal aid. The State Prosecutor has in the meantime indicated that Investigations have not been finalised, in that seven witness statements, the post mortem report, photoplan, identity documentation and laboratory results are still pending.
Presiding Magistrate Immanuel Udjombala has since postponed the matter to 14 June 2022 for further investigations.
Gamaseb was denied bail due to the seriousness of the offence, His rights to apply for a formal bail application has been explained.
“Further note that you are not compelled to apply for bail and should you decide to apply for bail, keep in mind that whatever you will say at bail proceedings will be recorded and may be used later against you during trial. So please be careful of what you will say at such proceedings.
You are also not compelled to say anything during bail proceedings, but in order for the court to assess your personal circumstances and consider your release, I may ask you
some questions.
The court will however not draw negative inferences from your refusal to answer such questions and therefore it is your decision to remain silent.The procedure of applying for formal bail application is by writing a letter to the Control Prosecutor or of the state.
In that letter, state the reasons for requesting bail to be considered. A date for a formal bail application will then be set down and the application will be heard,” Magistrate Udjombala explained to Gamaseb.
