Former senior police officer Morgan Brian Plaatjie has been found guilty, by the Windhoek High Court of killing his ex-girlfriend and mother of his children nearly three years ago.
Judge Dinnah Usiku yesterday convicted Plaatjie on a count of murder, read with provisions of the Domestic Violence Act, for the death of Yvette Sharon Louw, who died in June 2021.
The court accepted the evidence of a single witness who heard Plaatjie on 7 May 2021 threatening that he would kill Louw.
Usiku said Plaatjie violated a restraining order which is still in force when he went to Louw's house on 7 May 2021 to confront her about her cheating on him.
"The deceased was killed on the evening of 25 June 2021, or the morning of 26 June 2021 barely 49 days after the threats were made towards her by the accused," said the judge.
Usiku said the State had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Plaatjie is guilty of murder.
At the beginning of his trial, he pleaded guilty to counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and malicious damage to property.
The facts of the case are that Plaatjie and Louw were involved in a romantic relationship, from which two children were born.
However, two years before her death, she terminated the relationship, and moved into her own residence in Keetmanshoop's Tseiblaagte residential area.
Due to ongoing assaults and threats of assault by Plaatjie, Louw applied and obtained a protection order.
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He, however, violated the protection order on 7 May 2021 when he went to her house and insulted and threatened her as well as damaged her TV set. Consequently, she opened a criminal case against him, and he was arrested and released on bail.
Plaatjie again went to the deceased's house during the late-night hours of 25 June 2021, where he found her and her new boyfriend.
He stabbed the boyfriend, causing him to flee, and thereafter attacked Louw by stabbing her several times with a knife, causing her to seek shelter.
Plaatjie allegedly broke down the front door and bathroom door, where Louw had locked herself in, and continued to stab her until she collapsed. He then called the police, and reported that he had 'killed' Louw.
The police arrived, and took her to the hospital, where she succumbed to her stab wounds and due to loss of blood.
Boris Isaacks represented Plaaitjie, while Anna Amukugo prosecuted.
