A Hardap resident who admitted that he murdered his girlfriend by stabbing her with sheep shears was sentenced to 33 years in prison on Friday.

Judge Claudia Claasen sentenced Shaun Tieties (39) in the Windhoek High Court, where he admitted guilt on counts of murder, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and attempting to obstruct the course of justice four weeks ago.

He admitted that he killed his then girlfriend, Susanna Tierspoor (33), at a farm in the Mariental district on 30 September 2021, and that he also injured a six-year-old boy who clung to Tierspoor while he was stabbing her.

Tieties further admitted that he tried to frustrate or interfere with an investigation into Tierspoor's death by throwing away the sheep shears he had used to carry out the fatal attack on her. He also threw away a bloodstained shirt he wore during the attack, Tieties admitted.

Tierspoor was defenceless against Tieties' "barbaric attack", Claasen commented during the sentencing.

She added that the murder was made more despicable by the fact it was committed by an intimate life partner, while Tierspoor's two children saw the stabbing being carried out.