‘Gay ghosts’ defence fails, Claasen convicted
Iuze Mukube Johannes Saul Claasen, who allegedly claimed that a gay ghost made sexual advances towards him shortly before he fatally stabbed his domestic partner, has been found guilty of the charges levelled against him. Claasen faced three charges including murder, attempted murder, and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, all read with... The post ‘Gay ghosts’ defence fails, Claasen convicted appeared first on New Era.
Black News 
Iuze Mukube
Johannes Saul Claasen, who allegedly claimed that a gay ghost made sexual advances towards him shortly before he fatally stabbed his domestic partner, has been found guilty of the charges levelled against him.
Claasen faced three charges including murder, attempted murder, and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, all read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act.
Windhoek High Court Judge Dinah Usiku last Friday found him guilty on all three counts. The State alleged that Claasen unlawfully and intentionally killed Ridensia Rolinda Lamberth (28) on 25 December 2020 in Keetmanshoop by stabbing her in the chest with a knife.
On the second count, it is alleged that he stabbed his one-year-old daughter, Juanitha Claasen, at least three times in the neck and upper chest area with the intention of killing her.
It is further alleged that he hit Lamberth in March 2020 with a fist or open hand, causing her to suffer bruises and swelling around the eye.
At all relevant times, all three were in a domestic relationship. He pleaded not guilty to all counts and denied all the allegations against him. Claasen testified during a trial session that he stabbed the deceased because he had a dream of two gay ghosts and the stabbing culminated from him wrestling one of the ghosts after it or he attempted to have sexual intercourse with him.
He claimed he managed to get hold of a knife that was hidden under the mattress and stabbed one. He only realised after that he had stabbed Lamberth, and alerted her mother about the incident. He further told the court that he was only later told that he also injured his daughter, who was sleeping on her mother’s chest. Lamberth’s daughter, who was seven years old at the time of the incident, testified that she observed the accused lifting the mattress up and taking out a knife, which he placed under the pillow. Although she did not see the actual act, she heard the sound of someone spraying something, after which she took her bleeding little sister to her grandmother’s place.
The witness, who testified at 11 years old, alluded to witnessing the accused abusing her mother on various occasions, on two occasions, the accused allegedly chased her mother with a knife and, at one point, beat and kicked her all over her body, leaving her mother with a swollen eye. Judge Usiku found that although Lamberth’s daughter was a minor at the time, she gave credible evidence which was corroborated with other witnesses concerning the accused’s reputation for violence, his previous assault on the deceased and his threats towards the deceased with a knife.
She found that the minor’s version about the stabbing on the chest of Lamberth remained the same and was corroborated by medical evidence.
On the accused’s defence of non-pathological incapacity, the judge stated that a person in a state of temporary insanity will not be able to recall in such fine detail. “The accused’s version that he only came to his senses after he stabbed the deceased and was unaware that he stabbed the victim is not reasonably possibly true but false beyond reasonable doubt and is hereby rejected,” she found.
She found him guilty of the crimes of murder with direct intent, attempted murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Claasen is represented by Meriam Kandoni and the State by Maria Shilongo.
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