Shaningua sentencing on 31 August
The state and the defence lawyers finalised their arguments for the sentencing of a businessman who was found guilty of the murder Marco Kristian Uolevi Rönni, a Finn, who was shot dead outside a bar in the city's Southern Industrial Area.
Judge Christie Liebenberg postponed the matter to 31 August for sentencing.
State prosecutor Karin Esterhuisen argued in aggravation that a life was lost, the sanctity of which is enshrined in the Namibian Constitution.
“The deceased, at 42 years of age, was deprived of life and this consequently will deprive his three children to be with a father,” she stated.
Rodney Danne Shaningua, 46, was found guilty of murder and attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice after Judge Christie Liebenberg rejected his claim of having acted in self-defence during the shooting incident that claimed the life of Rönni.
Rönni was shot nine times in an apparent road-rage incident after a minor accident outside Joker's Bar near the Windhoek Showgrounds. The incident took place during the night of 8 to 9 August.
Shaningua pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder and defeating or obstructing the course of justice and explained that he acted in self-defence.
Esterhuisen told the court Shaningua fired nine shoots directly into the motor vehicle driven by the deceased knowing that the deceased was inside.
“The deceased was brutally murdered and the accused after shooting left him at his own mercy. The accused did not voluntarily stop firing but did so when another motor vehicle was approaching,” she charged.
She further said the accused expressed remorse only after he had pleaded not guilty and submitted that the remorse was not genuine and that it is more of regret for what he did.
Defence lawyer Slysken Makando stated that the murder was not out of nothing because everything became confused for Shaningua due to the damage of his car in an accident caused by the deceased.
“In appropriate circumstances the blameworthiness is absent because there is no evidence of direct intent,” he argued in mitigation, and further stressed that the interest of the society should not be overemphasised above that of the accused.
He however conceded that it is mandatory for court to declare the accused to be unfit to possess a firearm.
FRED GOEIEMAN
Judge Christie Liebenberg postponed the matter to 31 August for sentencing.
State prosecutor Karin Esterhuisen argued in aggravation that a life was lost, the sanctity of which is enshrined in the Namibian Constitution.
“The deceased, at 42 years of age, was deprived of life and this consequently will deprive his three children to be with a father,” she stated.
Rodney Danne Shaningua, 46, was found guilty of murder and attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice after Judge Christie Liebenberg rejected his claim of having acted in self-defence during the shooting incident that claimed the life of Rönni.
Rönni was shot nine times in an apparent road-rage incident after a minor accident outside Joker's Bar near the Windhoek Showgrounds. The incident took place during the night of 8 to 9 August.
Shaningua pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder and defeating or obstructing the course of justice and explained that he acted in self-defence.
Esterhuisen told the court Shaningua fired nine shoots directly into the motor vehicle driven by the deceased knowing that the deceased was inside.
“The deceased was brutally murdered and the accused after shooting left him at his own mercy. The accused did not voluntarily stop firing but did so when another motor vehicle was approaching,” she charged.
She further said the accused expressed remorse only after he had pleaded not guilty and submitted that the remorse was not genuine and that it is more of regret for what he did.
Defence lawyer Slysken Makando stated that the murder was not out of nothing because everything became confused for Shaningua due to the damage of his car in an accident caused by the deceased.
“In appropriate circumstances the blameworthiness is absent because there is no evidence of direct intent,” he argued in mitigation, and further stressed that the interest of the society should not be overemphasised above that of the accused.
He however conceded that it is mandatory for court to declare the accused to be unfit to possess a firearm.
FRED GOEIEMAN
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