Knife Killer Gets 38 Years

A MAN who admitted that he murdered his girlfriend with a knife in Windhoek four years ago, was sent to prison for an effective 38 years yesterday.

When he murdered his live-in girlfriend, Antoinette Lydia April on 1 March 2012, Willem Titus did not show any mercy to her, Judge Dinnah Usiku remarked during Titus' sentencing in the Windhoek High Court.

April (41) was stabbed eight times with a knife, Judge Usiku noted, commenting that she had been killed in a brutal way.

Judge Usiku added that the nature of the murder called for a severe sentence to match the seriousness of the crimes of which Titus was convicted.

Knife Killer Gets 38 Years

Given the current levels of violence and more specifically serious crimes being committed against women and children in Namibia, it seemed proper that with the sentencing of Titus, emphasis should be placed on retribution and deterrence, she further said.

Titus (49) admitted guilt on a charge of murder when he went on trial before Judge Usiku in November last year.

He admitted that he intended to kill April when he stabbed her several times with a knife on the Simon de Wit Bridge at the northern end of the Windhoek railway yard, while he and April were walking to work.

According to Titus, he took a knife from his rucksack and started to stab April after she had slapped him in the face during an argument. He said the argument was about secretive phone calls which she had been receiving on her cellphone, and about April's spending of his money without his consent.

Titus stated in a plea explanation at the start of his trial that he could not remember how many times he stabbed April, but that he did not dispute that it had been eight times.

He pleaded not guilty to a second charge - a count of robbery with aggravating circumstances - in which he was accused of having robbed April by taking a handbag, cellphone, wristwatch, rings and a necklace from her after he had stabbed her. Judge Usiku found him guilty on that charge, too, on 26 January.

Titus led the police to the handbag, which he had hidden in a wardrobe in the house where he and April lived, when he was questioned in connection with the killing of April, the court heard during the trial.

Having been convicted, Titus addressed a letter to the court in which he said he regretted the murder and pleaded for forgiveness from the court, April's family and fellow Namibians.

However, Titus came up with the letter at the eleventh hour, and his expression of remorse came far too late for it to ring true, Judge Usiku commented.

Titus was working as a painter before his arrest and is the father of eight children, the court was informed.

He was arrested on the day of the incident, and has been kept in custody over the four years since then.

The court was also told that April was the mother of three children, and was the main breadwinner for her family.

Judge Usiku sentenced Titus to 40 years' imprisonment on the murder charge, with ten years of that sentence conditionally suspended for a period of five years.

On the robbery charge, she sentenced him to a ten-year prison term, of which two years were suspended for a period of five years.

The sentences were ordered to be served consecutively.

Titus was represented by defence lawyer Hipura Ujaha during his trial. State advocate Cliff Lutibezi prosecuted.