Screwdriver stabbing: Woman denied bail
A woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend to death with a screwdriver was denied bail in the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Epifania Diladileni Teteleni (37), who is employed as a cleaner at the Onandjokwe State Hospital, recently pleaded with the court to release her on bail as she is a breadwinner and a mother to three children, adding that further incarceration would lead to her losing her job.
However, on Monday, Magistrate Nelao Ya France denied her bail, citing that the State has a strong case against her and that the matter is of a serious nature.
With the alarmingly high number of gender-based violence (GBV) cases in the country, it would not be in the interest of justice to grant her bail, Ya France added.
Teteleni was arrested on 10 February for the murder of 28-year-old Samuel Amutengelo Tuhafeni, whom she allegedly stabbed to death with a screwdriver.
According to court documents, a fight over a car - which both Teteleni and Tuhafeni claimed ownership of – led to the murder.
The two were in a romantic relationship for over two years.
Breadwinner
During the bail application proceedings, an emotional Teteleni informed the court that she is the breadwinner in her household, and that she takes care of her three children, five unemployed siblings and pensioner mother.
She admitted guilt for taking a life, but hastened to add that it was in self-defence.
“I am guilty for taking life out of somebody,” she testified.
According to her, Tuhafeni arrived home at around 03:00 on the fateful morning, and she demanded the keys to the car, which he drove as a taxi.
When he handed them over, Teteleni then allegedly went to a friend, who escorted her to the car. They met Tuhafeni and a male friend along the way, and a fight erupted.
Tuhafeni allegedly broke the car’s windows and took a screwdriver from the vehicle, which he allegedly used to stab his girlfriend.
The couple wrestled, the woman overpowered her boyfriend and - once she got hold of the screwdriver - she stabbed him in the chest.
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Epifania Diladileni Teteleni (37), who is employed as a cleaner at the Onandjokwe State Hospital, recently pleaded with the court to release her on bail as she is a breadwinner and a mother to three children, adding that further incarceration would lead to her losing her job.
However, on Monday, Magistrate Nelao Ya France denied her bail, citing that the State has a strong case against her and that the matter is of a serious nature.
With the alarmingly high number of gender-based violence (GBV) cases in the country, it would not be in the interest of justice to grant her bail, Ya France added.
Teteleni was arrested on 10 February for the murder of 28-year-old Samuel Amutengelo Tuhafeni, whom she allegedly stabbed to death with a screwdriver.
According to court documents, a fight over a car - which both Teteleni and Tuhafeni claimed ownership of – led to the murder.
The two were in a romantic relationship for over two years.
Breadwinner
During the bail application proceedings, an emotional Teteleni informed the court that she is the breadwinner in her household, and that she takes care of her three children, five unemployed siblings and pensioner mother.
She admitted guilt for taking a life, but hastened to add that it was in self-defence.
“I am guilty for taking life out of somebody,” she testified.
According to her, Tuhafeni arrived home at around 03:00 on the fateful morning, and she demanded the keys to the car, which he drove as a taxi.
When he handed them over, Teteleni then allegedly went to a friend, who escorted her to the car. They met Tuhafeni and a male friend along the way, and a fight erupted.
Tuhafeni allegedly broke the car’s windows and took a screwdriver from the vehicle, which he allegedly used to stab his girlfriend.
The couple wrestled, the woman overpowered her boyfriend and - once she got hold of the screwdriver - she stabbed him in the chest.
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