Evidence piles up against man accused of killing wife for snoring

The trial of a 48-year-old Outjo man accused of murdering his long-term partner after allegedly becoming enraged by her snoring continued this week, with witnesses testifying about a wheelbarrow allegedly used to transport the deceased’s body and blood stains allegedly seen on the accused’s clothing shortly after the incident.

Piet Ritief Damaseb is facing charges of murder and defeating or obstructing the course of justice following the death of Davie Bokkie Hannes in March 2022.

The State, represented by Ian Malumani, alleges that Damaseb assaulted Hannes with an iron bar and other blunt objects at his residence in the Soweto location of Outjo before transporting her body in a wheelbarrow and dumping it at her mother’s residence in the 7de Laan location.

Testifying as the third State witness, Manhalea Nowaseb, who identified himself as Damaseb’s younger brother, told the court that Damaseb arrived at his house before sunrise on 12 March 2022 requesting to borrow a green wheelbarrow.

“He asked me for the wheelbarrow so he could go collect water,” Nowaseb testified.

According to the witness, Damaseb eventually located the wheelbarrow in a room next to the veranda and left with it while it was still dark outside.

Nowaseb further told the court that he later learnt from his grandfather that Damaseb had allegedly killed a woman and transported her body in the wheelbarrow.

“Your elder brother killed a woman, placed her in a wheelbarrow and dropped her at her mother’s house,” the grandfather allegedly told him.

The witness said that when he later checked the wheelbarrow, he found it positioned differently from where he usually kept it. He further testified that he did not clean it after it was returned.

The defence did not cross-examine the witness.

Another witness, Frieda Kanuxas, testified that at around 05h00 on the morning of the incident, the accused came to her house asking for tobacco.

She said Damaseb was covered with a grey blanket and that she observed a green wheelbarrow standing near the gate.

“I only heard later that a woman had been killed,” she testified.

The fifth State witness, Festus Amutenya, told the court that he encountered Damaseb between 08h00 and 09h00 that same morning while standing outside his house in Soweto.

According to Amutenya, his wife greeted the accused and asked where the deceased was.

“He said he had been looking for his wife since the previous day and found her lying dead at her mother’s house,” Amutenya testified.

Amutenya further claimed that the accused allegedly said the deceased had been stoned to death by Oshiwambo-speaking men.

The witness also testified that he observed what appeared to be blood stains on the accused’s trousers while speaking to him from a distance of approximately four metres.

Under cross-examination, the defence disputed that Damaseb had mentioned Oshiwambo-speaking men. However, Amutenya maintained that the statement was made directly to him and not to his wife.

Another witness, Willem Hunibeb, testified that on the night of 11 March 2022, he allegedly saw the accused repeatedly lifting and dropping the deceased while walking near houses in the location.

“He would lift her and then let go, and she would fall on her buttocks,” Hunibeb testified, adding that he found the conduct strange but continued walking.

Asked whether the deceased appeared to be alive at the time, Hunibeb said he was unable to tell.