Murder gets young man jailed for 20 years
About four years after the body of a 45-year-old man was found in Windhoek’s Suiderhof with a large knife wound to his stomach, two young men were sentenced for the murder on Wednesday.
Marcel Groenewald (23) was sentenced to 20 years in prison - the heaviest sentence that can be handed down by a regional court. His co-accused, Paul Loots (27), was sentenced to four years in prison.
Samuel ‘Boetie’ Koopman was stabbed with a knife and had his abdomen cut open in February 2020. He then collapsed and died on a pavement in Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Street. He was found by a passer-by.
Groenewald and Loots were apparently involved in a verbal confrontation with Koopman shortly before the murder and were linked to the murder scene thanks to CCTV footage from businesses in the area. They were arrested two days after the murder.
The two men were good friends at the time and worked together as mechanics. Groenewald was 19 years old at the time of the murder. He was found guilty of murder in April this year, while it was found that Loots was an accomplice in the murder.
Loots drove the vehicle the two men used to flee the scene.
‘Didn’t see anything’
During the trial, Groenewald took to the witness stand and admitted that he threatened Koopman with a knife after discovering that his Playstation game console had been stolen from Loots' car.
According to Groenewald, Koopman attacked him and they both fell to the ground. He testified that the injury to Koopman's abdomen could have been sustained at that time.
Loots told the court that he was in his bakkie during the confrontation and apparently did not see anything.
While delivering the verdict, Magistrate Victor Nyazo said it is highly unlikely that the enormous knife wound to Koopman's abdomen could have happened by accident. He believes it was the result of an intentional act.
He further pointed out that he did not believe either of the defendants' versions of events.
Painful death
Nyazo further pointed out during sentencing that Koopman died a painful death.
Despite the fact that Groenewald said he regretted his actions and asked Koopman's family to forgive him, Nyazo did not believe that he was truly remorseful.
The magistrate added that he believes Groenewald only regrets that he was found guilty of murder and that it changed his life.
– [email protected]
Marcel Groenewald (23) was sentenced to 20 years in prison - the heaviest sentence that can be handed down by a regional court. His co-accused, Paul Loots (27), was sentenced to four years in prison.
Samuel ‘Boetie’ Koopman was stabbed with a knife and had his abdomen cut open in February 2020. He then collapsed and died on a pavement in Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Street. He was found by a passer-by.
Groenewald and Loots were apparently involved in a verbal confrontation with Koopman shortly before the murder and were linked to the murder scene thanks to CCTV footage from businesses in the area. They were arrested two days after the murder.
The two men were good friends at the time and worked together as mechanics. Groenewald was 19 years old at the time of the murder. He was found guilty of murder in April this year, while it was found that Loots was an accomplice in the murder.
Loots drove the vehicle the two men used to flee the scene.
‘Didn’t see anything’
During the trial, Groenewald took to the witness stand and admitted that he threatened Koopman with a knife after discovering that his Playstation game console had been stolen from Loots' car.
According to Groenewald, Koopman attacked him and they both fell to the ground. He testified that the injury to Koopman's abdomen could have been sustained at that time.
Loots told the court that he was in his bakkie during the confrontation and apparently did not see anything.
While delivering the verdict, Magistrate Victor Nyazo said it is highly unlikely that the enormous knife wound to Koopman's abdomen could have happened by accident. He believes it was the result of an intentional act.
He further pointed out that he did not believe either of the defendants' versions of events.
Painful death
Nyazo further pointed out during sentencing that Koopman died a painful death.
Despite the fact that Groenewald said he regretted his actions and asked Koopman's family to forgive him, Nyazo did not believe that he was truly remorseful.
The magistrate added that he believes Groenewald only regrets that he was found guilty of murder and that it changed his life.
– [email protected]
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article