Children watch as father stabs mother
Lebogang Baingapi | Tuesday August 25, 2015 16:14
When appearing before Magistrate Basetsana Keakantse last Thursday, Jeremiah testified that on February 25, 2015, she met her husband, who she had taken a restraining order against due to their continued misunderstandings, on the street. He then asked to speak to her, but she suggested that they go to her house to talk.
The court heard that on that day, the accused initially refused citing his fear for the police, but later agreed to accompany his wife home, where his children also stay. Upon arrival they had a conversation outside the house before the accused grabbed her, pulled out an okapi knife from his jacket and stabbed her on the waist.
She further said that when she screamed, the accused scratched her again on the stomach before her children came to her rescue.
Jeremiah said one witness, who was only referred to as Uyapo, tried to scare the accused with a brick. The accused then left her and chased Uyapo with a knife, telling him to stop interfering in his family matters.
“I then locked myself in the house with my kids and one neighbour came with a car to take me to the police,” she told the court.
The court also learnt that the accused person returned, this time wearing different clothes and followed the car, which carried the complainant.
She was eventually hospitalised at the Jwaneng Mine Hospital. Medical report form and an okapi knife was tendered as part of evidence.
Though she denied having an extra-marital affair, she told court during cross-examination with defence attorney Makalare Ngomme that she has been subjected to a sour marriage, characterised by verbal abuse because her husband was jealous and restricted her from speaking to other men.
In her police statement, she admitted that she no longer loved her husband and indicated that she wanted a divorce. Ngomme put to her that she always overpowered the accused because she is vocal and bigger in body structure than he is.
He also alluded that the wife has denied the accused his conjugal rights for a long time.
She admitted denying the accused conjugal rights for close to two years, but insisted that this had not started the fight. She argued that their marriage was beseiged with problems and sex was not the root cause of their problems.
It also emerged that one of their children had brought the phone to their mother on the day of the incident, for the purpose of recording the conversation between the two.
The case continues on September 28 and 29, 2015, where the prosecution will avail other witnesses.