Walvis Bay man claims self-defence in stabbing incident killing woman and leaving another injured

Walvis Bay resident Robin Montgomery says he was acting in self-defence when he stabbed two women, causing the one’s death, in February last year.

Testifying in his own defence in the Swakopmund Regional Court on Friday, Montgomery (59) recounted events surrounding the stabbing of his sister-in-law, Erika Montgomery, and her cousin Maria Hester Van Zyl, on 12 February last year.

Van Zyl was fatally injured when she was stabbed in the chest.

Montgomery is facing charges of murder, attempted murder and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.

Presiding magistrate Vicky Nicolaidis listened as Montgomery described his deteriorating relationship with Erika following his brother’s death, despite them continuing to share a home at Rooibank near the harbour town.

“After my brother died, you could see there was friction between the two of us,” Montgomery told the court.

He claimed Erika kept multiple firearms in the house and this was a source of unease for him.

He recalled an incident during which Erika allegedly sought him out with a gun at a Walvis Bay bar.

He testified that on the day of the incident, he had returned home after drinking several beers.

He described walking into a tense atmosphere, noting salt strewn across the floor, which Erika reportedly explained was “something for fleas”.

Spotting a firearm partially concealed under a pillow on the bed where Erika and Van Zyl were sitting, he felt a surge of fear, he claimed.

“I saw the gun barrel, and then I went to the bakkie to collect the knife. It was my fish knife,” Montgomery testified, saying he kept the knife concealed in case he needed protection.

Montgomery alleged that Van Zyl reached for the partly hidden firearm. “As she was reaching for the weapon […] I thought she would shoot me. Her hand was on the weapon,” he said, justifying his reaction as self-defence.

According to his account, he then stabbed Van Zyl twice in the chest and also stabbed Erika in the shoulder.

“There is nothing like me stabbing Ms Van Zyl because I wanted to kill her. I just wanted to hurt them,” Montgomery said.

Following the stabbings, he left the house, but did not attempt to flee, Montgomery stated. Instead, he called the police to report the incident and waited for them to arrive, throwing the knife over a fence at the scene.

“I knew I had to remain there,” he told the court, noting that he made two calls to a police officer in the absence of an immediate response.

Prosecutor Tresia Hafeni argued that Montgomery’s actions were calculated, suggesting his retrieval of a knife pointed to an intent to confront and harm Erika and Van Zyl.

Erika, the court heard, claimed the firearm was secured in a safe and that Montgomery’s claim about the gun on the bed was untrue.

Hafeni said the alleged threat was not immediate, questioning Montgomery’s decision to escalate the situation by arming himself.

The trial has been postponed to 26 November for further cross-examination, with Montgomery expected to call another witness to testify in his defence.

He remains in custody at Swakopmund Police Station, pending the continuation of the trial.

Montgomery is represented by legal aid lawyer Albert Titus.