Farm murder accused opts to stay silent

One of three men charged with the murder of an elderly farming couple in the //Kharas region in February 2018 has chosen not to testify in his own defence during his trial in the Windhoek High Court.

Judge Dinnah Usiku was informed of Andries Afrikaner’s decision to remain silent when the trial in which he and two co-accused are arraigned on seven charges continued yesterday.

Afrikaner (42), Julius Arndt (46) and Johannes Christiaan (41) are accused of robbing and murdering a farming couple near Koës during the night of 2 to 3 February 2018.

The state is alleging that they broke into the house of Giel and Sarie Botma at the farm Lindeshof, and killed Giel (78) by shooting him with a .22 rifle and assaulting him.

The state is also alleging that Sarie (80) was raped and then killed by being strangled.

Arndt was arrested at Aranos on the day after the double murder. He had a pickup belonging to Giel, a .22 rifle and items that belonged to the murdered couple in his possession, the court has heard.

Afrikaner and Christiaan were also arrested on the day after the incident.

All three of the accused made self-incriminating statements that were recorded by a magistrate at Keetmanshoop after their arrests.

Arndt told the court on Wednesday that he, Afrikaner and Christiaan had gone to the couple’s farm during the evening of 2 February 2018.

He said he and Afrikaner entered the main house at the farm through a window, but denied that he encountered the Botmas or stole anything from the house.

Arndt told the court he left the farm in a pickup he had found parked at a garage at the farm, and drove to Aranos, where he was arrested the next day.

When state advocate Seredine Jacobs questioned Arndt about evidence that DNA matching his was found under Sarie’s fingernails, and that DNA matching hers was detected on blood spots on a T-shirt he was wearing and on his underwear, Arndt simply repeated that he did not meet either Sarie or Giel when he and his co-accused were at their farm.

He also said he did not hear the sound of a gunshot while at the farm.

In the statement he made to a magistrate after his arrest, Arndt said he stumbled over Giel’s body, which was lying on the floor, after he had entered the house.

He also said he heard a gunshot, and then saw Afrikaner, who had a .22 rifle with him, running into an office in the house.

He told the magistrate that Afrikaner said “I killed both of them”.

In the statement he gave a magistrate, Afrikaner said when he entered the house he found Giel lying on the floor.

He also said he saw Arndt strangling Sarie.

Christiaan, who testified in his own defence yesterday, said he, Arndt and Afrikaner had gone to the Botmas’ farm after Arndt said he wanted to fetch meat at the farm.

Christiaan said he stayed outside when Arndt and Afrikaner entered the farmhouse.

He said he heard the sound of objects falling to the floor inside the house, and walked back to Koës, leaving Arndt and Afrikaner behind at the farm, after they did not respond when he tried to call them in the house.

With the testimony in the trial concluded, the matter has been postponed to 1 February next year for the hearing of closing arguments before Usiku delivers her judgement.

Arndt and Afrikaner are being held in custody. Christiaan has been released on bail.