A Hardap region resident admitted in the Windhoek High Court yesterday that he murdered his girlfriend by stabbing her with sheep-shears after she ended their relationship.
Shaun Tieties (38) admitted guilt on counts of murder, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and attempting to obstruct the course of justice at the start of his trial before judge Claudia Claasen.
He admitted that he killed his then girlfriend, Susanna Tierspoor (33), at a farm in the Mariental district on 30 September 2021 and that he also injured a six-year-old boy who clung to Tierspoor while he was stabbing her.
He further admitted that he tried to frustrate or interfere with an investigation into Tierspoor’s death by throwing away the sheep-shears he had used to carry out the fatal attack on her. He also threw away a bloodstained shirt he wore during the attack, Tieties admitted.
In a plea statement given to the judge, Tieties said he and Tierspoor had been involved in a romantic relationship for about three years.
On 30 September 2021, she informed him she was no longer in love with him and she wanted to end their relationship, he said.
Tieties stated: “I was deeply angered by this, because I felt betrayed by [Tierspoor], given all the things I had done for her during the relationship.”
He said after he had been informed that Tierspoor was ending their relationship, he went to the farm where she was employed as a domestic worker.
When he found her at the farm, he approached her and started stabbing her at random all over her body, without exchanging any words, he recounted in his plea statement.
He did not know how many times he stabbed her, but accepted that a medical doctor later recorded 36 stab injuries on Tierspoor’s body, Tieties added.
He is sorry about what he did and is asking for mercy from the court, he said.
The court was informed that Tieties was arrested a day after the murder of Tierspoor. He has been held in custody since his arrest.
A presentence hearing is due to continue before Claasen today.
State advocate Maria Shilongo is representing the prosecution.
Tieties is being represented by defence lawyer Cliff Simataa.
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