Lawyers called to order

KEETMANSHOOP Regional Court Magistrate Hosea Noabeb on Wednesday called to order defence and prosecution lawyers in a murder trial before him in court.

“I have the right to recuse myself from this case if you do not stop [your] unprofessional utterances,” Noabeb warned. “If you don’t clear the issue between you on how to interact in this court, I might stand my ground to recuse myself unless there is a drastic change,” Noabeb added.Noabeb said the way in which the lawyers had addressed the court was unacceptable.The move came after State Prosecutor Jackson Kuutondokwa and defence lawyer Gerrit Van Den Heever became involved in a heated exchange following a string of objections from both sides over the relevancy of questions posed during cross-examinations.At one stage Van Den Heever claimed Kuutondokwa had missed some points that he did not expect from an experienced prosecutor.In turn, Kuutondokwa said the defence objections did not hold any water, adding that Van Den Heever had not followed the procedural and tactical aspects of the trial.”I’m now tired of my leaned colleague’s insinuations that I do not know the law,” Kuutondokwa remarked.When Noabeb called them to order, Van den Heever was first to apologise to the State Prosecutor and the Magistrate for his unbecoming behaviour.After the court adjourned for lunch, the lawyers went to the prosecutor’s office to sort out their differences.No further objections were tendered when the hearing resumed after the lunch break.In the murder trial, Johannes Gawab (45) is accused of shooting dead his girlfriend, Anna Fransina Dreyer, in Keetmanshoop’s Tseiblaagte residential area on November 19 2005.At the start of the trial on Monday, Gawab pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, firing a firearm in a municipal area, assault by threat and common assault.Dreyer’s mother, Susanna Davids, on Wednesday testified that Gawab and her daughter were quarrelling on the day of her death, but she did not listen to what they were quarrelling about.When challenged under cross-examination, Davids said her daughter had informed her that she had broken off her relationship with Gawab.According to Davids, her daughter told Gawab on two separate occasions to leave her house, but he came back a third time – on the day she was shot dead.Gawab’s trial was postponed until November 26.His bail was extended.”If you don’t clear the issue between you on how to interact in this court, I might stand my ground to recuse myself unless there is a drastic change,” Noabeb added.Noabeb said the way in which the lawyers had addressed the court was unacceptable.The move came after State Prosecutor Jackson Kuutondokwa and defence lawyer Gerrit Van Den Heever became involved in a heated exchange following a string of objections from both sides over the relevancy of questions posed during cross-examinations.At one stage Van Den Heever claimed Kuutondokwa had missed some points that he did not expect from an experienced prosecutor.In turn, Kuutondokwa said the defence objections did not hold any water, adding that Van Den Heever had not followed the procedural and tactical aspects of the trial.”I’m now tired of my leaned colleague’s insinuations that I do not know the law,” Kuutondokwa remarked.When Noabeb called them to order, Van den Heever was first to apologise to the State Prosecutor and the Magistrate for his unbecoming behaviour.After the court adjourned for lunch, the lawyers went to the prosecutor’s office to sort out their differences.No further objections were tendered when the hearing resumed after the lunch break.In the murder trial, Johannes Gawab (45) is accused of shooting dead his girlfriend, Anna Fransina Dreyer, in Keetmanshoop’s Tseiblaagte residential area on November 19 2005.At the start of the trial on Monday, Gawab pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, firing a firearm in a municipal area, assault by threat and common assault.Dreyer’s mother, Susanna Davids, on Wednesday testified that Gawab and her daughter were quarrelling on the day of her death, but she did not listen to what they were quarrelling about.When challenged under cross-examination, Davids said her daughter had informed her that she had broken off her relationship with Gawab.According to Davids, her daughter told Gawab on two separate occasions to leave her house, but he came back a third time – on the day she was shot dead.Gawab’s trial was postponed until November 26.His bail was extended.