27 April 2011
A Stampriet resident who is accused of murdering his live-in girlfriend through a severe assault a year and a half ago is facing a continued period in custody after his trial failed to start as scheduled in the High Court in Windhoek yesterday.
The trial of Frans Basson (26) was supposed to begin before Judge President Petrus Damaseb at the start of last week, but was then postponed to yesterday because defence lawyer Tabitha Mbome had a death in the family.
Yesterday, the Judge President was informed that Mbome was experiencing difficulties in getting transport to return from Angola, where she had travelled to attend a close relative’s funeral.
As a result, Basson’s trial will not be starting as planned, and his case has been postponed to May 9 to arrange new dates for the trial.
Basson is charged with counts of murder, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and defeating or obstructing, or attempting to defeat or obstruct, the course of justice.
He is accused of killing his girlfriend, Irene Matlatla (23), with whom he had a child, in the Soetdoringlaagte area of Stampriet during the night of August 1 to 2 2009. Basson is also accused of assaulting another Stampriet resident, Viasco Heinrich, by stabbing him in the leg with a knife. He is further accused of having tried to hide or destroy evidence connected to the assault on Heinrich and the deadly attack on Matlatla by getting rid of the knife with which Heinrich was stabbed.
In the indictment that sets out the charges against Basson it is alleged that he found Matlatla and Heinrich together in his residence during the night of August 1 to 2 2009. Basson allegedly attacked Heinrich and stabbed him in the leg, after which Heinrich ran away.
Basson then launched an assault on Matlatla, hitting and kicking her, throwing her to the ground, jumping on her and throwing a stone on her body, it is charged. Matlatla died due to multiple injuries, it is alleged.
Basson remains in custody pending the start of his trial.
AllAfrica – All the Time
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Stampriet Murder Trial Start Delayed