Hoff guilty of attempted murder of husband
One of the more sensational trials in Namibian legal history concluded yesterday when Susanne Hoff was acquitted of conspiracy to kill her husband, but found guilty of his attempted murder.
Susanne Hoff (56) was found guilty of the attempted murder of her estranged husband, Egbert Hoff, by the Windhoek Regional Court yesterday.
Hoff, who pleaded not guilty, was acquitted on the original charge of conspiracy to commit murder. In her ruling, Magistrate Alexis Diergaardt said the two State witnesses had pretended to play along with Hoff.
“Conspiracy can only exist if a definite agreement exists between two people to commit a crime,” she said.
According to the State, Hoff canvassed three men to hurt or kill her estranged husband for payment. State witnesses Wilbard Malina and Jekonia Shipepe testified that Hoff had asked them to kill her husband for N$25 000.
In her judgment, Diergaardt said the witnesses had given three different versions of the story.
During the trial, Egbert Hoff testified that a certain Malima had contacted him a few times during November 2011 to purchase used car tyres and on 30 November of that year, at 17:00, a deal was struck for the sale. He also told the court that on the same day, a police officer from the Nampol drug squad contacted him and informed him of a potential attempt on his life.
Magistrate Diergaardt said Malima had testified that Susanne Hoff had asked him to find people to break her husband's back and that later changed to a request to kill him outright. Malima also said that Hoff had taken him to the couple's farm and shown him a pile of used tyres under which the body could be buried.
Susanne Hoff's testimony was rejected by the court. In her defence, she said that she did have contact with Malima and Shipepe, but she had asked them to pretend to be interested in buying a horse. She said she suspected her estranged husband was selling horses that belonged to her and pocketing the money.
She said their marriage had all but collapsed at that point. She further told the court that she met Malima through Fanuel Haiduwa when she was looking for someone to deal with debtors at her advertising company.
Diergaardt said she accepted Haiduwa's testimony, as he would have had no financial gains from the discussions between Hoff and Malima.
She added that she also believed that Malima and Shipepe were offered money to murder Egbert Hoff. Both men testified that they took the money but had no intention of murdering Egbert Hoff.
Diergaardt found Hoff guilty of attempted murder, saying that there was an attempt by her to have the murder committed. She made payments to facilitate the deed and showed the two men where to bury the body.
“She followed the plan through to the end,” Diergaardt said.
Hoff's bail was extended to 3 March, when evidence in mitigation and aggravation of sentencing will be heard.
Advocate Esi Schimming-Chase, instructed by attorney Karin Klazen, appeared for Hoff while Samantha Diergaardt prosecuted.
JACQUELINE LOUW
Hoff, who pleaded not guilty, was acquitted on the original charge of conspiracy to commit murder. In her ruling, Magistrate Alexis Diergaardt said the two State witnesses had pretended to play along with Hoff.
“Conspiracy can only exist if a definite agreement exists between two people to commit a crime,” she said.
According to the State, Hoff canvassed three men to hurt or kill her estranged husband for payment. State witnesses Wilbard Malina and Jekonia Shipepe testified that Hoff had asked them to kill her husband for N$25 000.
In her judgment, Diergaardt said the witnesses had given three different versions of the story.
During the trial, Egbert Hoff testified that a certain Malima had contacted him a few times during November 2011 to purchase used car tyres and on 30 November of that year, at 17:00, a deal was struck for the sale. He also told the court that on the same day, a police officer from the Nampol drug squad contacted him and informed him of a potential attempt on his life.
Magistrate Diergaardt said Malima had testified that Susanne Hoff had asked him to find people to break her husband's back and that later changed to a request to kill him outright. Malima also said that Hoff had taken him to the couple's farm and shown him a pile of used tyres under which the body could be buried.
Susanne Hoff's testimony was rejected by the court. In her defence, she said that she did have contact with Malima and Shipepe, but she had asked them to pretend to be interested in buying a horse. She said she suspected her estranged husband was selling horses that belonged to her and pocketing the money.
She said their marriage had all but collapsed at that point. She further told the court that she met Malima through Fanuel Haiduwa when she was looking for someone to deal with debtors at her advertising company.
Diergaardt said she accepted Haiduwa's testimony, as he would have had no financial gains from the discussions between Hoff and Malima.
She added that she also believed that Malima and Shipepe were offered money to murder Egbert Hoff. Both men testified that they took the money but had no intention of murdering Egbert Hoff.
Diergaardt found Hoff guilty of attempted murder, saying that there was an attempt by her to have the murder committed. She made payments to facilitate the deed and showed the two men where to bury the body.
“She followed the plan through to the end,” Diergaardt said.
Hoff's bail was extended to 3 March, when evidence in mitigation and aggravation of sentencing will be heard.
Advocate Esi Schimming-Chase, instructed by attorney Karin Klazen, appeared for Hoff while Samantha Diergaardt prosecuted.
JACQUELINE LOUW
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