Alleged passion killer to plead in May

The case of a man accused of slitting the throat of his girlfriend with a broken glass has been postponed to May 7 for plea and trial. Jeffrey Barman, 23, is charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and common assault. He has been in custody since November 2012 when he was arrested in connection with the murder of Melanie Booysen, 20. Barman allegedly slit Booysen's throat with a broken glass while the couple were celebrating their four-year-old daughter's birthday party at Booysen’s family home in Katutura. The murder happened in full view of her relatives and friends who attended the party. Before the attack, the two had been involved in a verbal altercation. Booysen died in the ambulance on her way to hospital. It is also alleged that Barman stabbed Charlton Swartz with a broken glass in the face at the same party on November 10, 2012. He further allegedly pushed Susana Aletha Booysen, the mother of the deceased, into a barbed-wire fence at the same occasion. Barman faces another charge of having stabbed Albertus Fransiskus Duncan with a knife at the Central Shop area in Katutura on August 1, 2013. He allegedly beat the same complainant over the head with crutches. After the stabbings at the birthday party, Jarman fled the scene. When he returned to the house later he found the Windhoek City Police there, who pursued him as he tried to run away. He reportedly climbed onto the roof of a house and broke his leg after trying to jump onto the roof of an adjacent house. Judge Christie Liebenberg is presiding. Willem Visser appeared for the defence and Shakwa Nyambe for the State. WINDHOEK FRED GOEIEMAN