Murder accused cop on trial
Former police constable Elbertus Ganeb is accused of stabbing his two sons to death at Gobabis three years ago.
FRED GOEIEMAN
A policeman who killed his two small sons, had threatened to kill their mother next, and wanted to commit suicide afterwards, the Windhoek High Court heard yesterday.
“I have done what I have done. Next is my girlfriend and thereafter I will finish myself,” the former constable, Elbertus Ganeb, 32, allegedly said on the phone to the police before he was arrested for the murder of his sons, four and seven years old, in April 2014.
On the night of 25 April 2014, Ganeb’s two sons were in his care at house 99 in Tswana Block, Gobabis. He is alleged to have attacked the seven-year-old, Tertius Romeo Shaun Swartz, and stabbed him at least four times in the head. The boy died of multiple skull fractures.
Ganeb allegedly then stabbed Gregory O’Grady Holmes Swartz, aged four, six times in the body and head. The boy received hospital treatment at Gobabis and was later transferred to the Katutura State Hospital, where he died of his injuries on 1 May 2014.
Ganeb faces two murder charges, read in conjunction with the provisions of Combating of Domestic Violence Act. He also faces a charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm for the assault of Romilly Swartz during 2013 and 2014. They were in a relationship and were the parents of the two murdered boys.
Detective Warrant Officer Gayle Shitumbuleni, who was attached to the Criminal Investigation Department at Gobabis at the time of the incident, yesterday testified that Ganeb had threatened his colleague Festus Nekongo after accusing him of having an affair with Swartz.
She testified that Nekongo had complained to her about threatening phone calls and text messages from Ganeb.
She said in an attempt to bring the two officers together to peacefully resolve the issue, she phoned Ganeb from the charge office at Epako, Gobabis, and informed him about the complaints.
Ganeb allegedly told her that he did not want to see her because it was his girlfriend who had instructed her to call him, but she told the court she had informed him that Nekongo had made the complaint.
She further testified that after she had instructed Nekongo to go home, she, in the company of other police officers, went to Ganeb’s house. They found the house open and called him but there was no answer.
According to her when they looked into the house they saw a boy lying in a pool of blood on the floor.
“We called additional manpower and an ambulance, surrounded the house and later observed that another boy was lying in a pool of blood on the bed. We observed that the boy on the bed was still moving,” Shitumbuleni said, and added that Ganeb had been on duty the previous night.
The police officer further testified that Ganeb later called her and said she had made a mistake by searching for him and that she would not find him.
“I have done what I have done. My girlfriend is next and thereafter I will finish myself,” he allegedly said and ended the call.
The police searched for him and later arrested him. At the time of his arrest, it was reported that Ganeb looked sober and normal.
Last year, during a bail application, he claimed that he had been intoxicated and had taken painkillers on the day of the killings, and consequently could not recall anything about the incident.
The trial continues before Judge Dinnah Usiku.
A policeman who killed his two small sons, had threatened to kill their mother next, and wanted to commit suicide afterwards, the Windhoek High Court heard yesterday.
“I have done what I have done. Next is my girlfriend and thereafter I will finish myself,” the former constable, Elbertus Ganeb, 32, allegedly said on the phone to the police before he was arrested for the murder of his sons, four and seven years old, in April 2014.
On the night of 25 April 2014, Ganeb’s two sons were in his care at house 99 in Tswana Block, Gobabis. He is alleged to have attacked the seven-year-old, Tertius Romeo Shaun Swartz, and stabbed him at least four times in the head. The boy died of multiple skull fractures.
Ganeb allegedly then stabbed Gregory O’Grady Holmes Swartz, aged four, six times in the body and head. The boy received hospital treatment at Gobabis and was later transferred to the Katutura State Hospital, where he died of his injuries on 1 May 2014.
Ganeb faces two murder charges, read in conjunction with the provisions of Combating of Domestic Violence Act. He also faces a charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm for the assault of Romilly Swartz during 2013 and 2014. They were in a relationship and were the parents of the two murdered boys.
Detective Warrant Officer Gayle Shitumbuleni, who was attached to the Criminal Investigation Department at Gobabis at the time of the incident, yesterday testified that Ganeb had threatened his colleague Festus Nekongo after accusing him of having an affair with Swartz.
She testified that Nekongo had complained to her about threatening phone calls and text messages from Ganeb.
She said in an attempt to bring the two officers together to peacefully resolve the issue, she phoned Ganeb from the charge office at Epako, Gobabis, and informed him about the complaints.
Ganeb allegedly told her that he did not want to see her because it was his girlfriend who had instructed her to call him, but she told the court she had informed him that Nekongo had made the complaint.
She further testified that after she had instructed Nekongo to go home, she, in the company of other police officers, went to Ganeb’s house. They found the house open and called him but there was no answer.
According to her when they looked into the house they saw a boy lying in a pool of blood on the floor.
“We called additional manpower and an ambulance, surrounded the house and later observed that another boy was lying in a pool of blood on the bed. We observed that the boy on the bed was still moving,” Shitumbuleni said, and added that Ganeb had been on duty the previous night.
The police officer further testified that Ganeb later called her and said she had made a mistake by searching for him and that she would not find him.
“I have done what I have done. My girlfriend is next and thereafter I will finish myself,” he allegedly said and ended the call.
The police searched for him and later arrested him. At the time of his arrest, it was reported that Ganeb looked sober and normal.
Last year, during a bail application, he claimed that he had been intoxicated and had taken painkillers on the day of the killings, and consequently could not recall anything about the incident.
The trial continues before Judge Dinnah Usiku.
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