Lela Mobile Online - Keetmanshoop shebeen owner sentenced to 33 years imprisonment
Keetmanshoop shebeen owner sentenced to 33 years imprisonment
24 Feb 2019 10:40am
KEETMANSHOOP, 24 FEB (NAMPA)  A Keetmanshoop shebeen owner, Matias Chi-Chi Shikongo, was on Friday sentenced to 33 years imprisonment in the Keetmanshoop Regional Court for the murder of a 26-year-old man and multiple assault charges.
Shikongo was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by Magistrate Sunsley Sizengwe after he was found guilty of murdering Deonenastus Lawrence Katuuo by hacking him multiple times with a panga all over the body at his bar, located in Keetmanshoops Noordhoek residential area, on 07 June 2015.
Shikongo, 43, admitted having struck Katuuo three times on his head with a panga and the possibility that his two dogs might have inflicted wounds on the deceased. He however claimed to have acted in self-defence.
Medical reports provided to the court indicated that the deceased sustained 11 cut wounds to his head, of which one was a 66 millimetre-wide cut into the brain, causing his death.
Shikongo was also found guilty of attempted murder for having stabbed Matheus Motinga multiple times on the head on 26 April 2015 and was sentenced to nine years imprisonment.
Additionally, Shikongo was found guilty of two counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm - on the same day of the stabbing incident, when he assaulted Franklin Kondoni with a fist and an open hand, and on 29 May 2015, when he assaulted Heinrich Hinda by beating and kicking him all over the body.
He was sentenced two years imprisonment for each assault count.
All the incidents happened at Shikongos bar and during his trial, the accused told the court that he could not remember any of the incidents and that all three victims were bitten by his dogs.
Shikongo pleaded not guilty to all the charges when his trial started early last year.
Before sentencing Shikongo, Sizengwe said the court cannot show any mercy and empathy when sentencing Shikongo as he did not show any mercy and empathy when committing the crimes.
He said the court cannot ignore the gruesome manner in which Shikongo had committed the crimes.
This court has to send a clear message to those who commit crime as the society is concerned and that the court cannot turn a blind eye to, he added.
Private defence lawyer Jan Wessels represented Shikongo, while Lewis Chigunwe represented the State.
Shikongo will serve his prison term at the Keetmanshoop Correctional Facility.
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