The pre-sentencing and sentencing trial of murder accused Jándre Dippenaar, which was scheduled for Tuesday in the Swakopmund Regional Court, has been postponed to 20 August 2024.
According to his lawyer Petrie Theron during a brief appearance on Tuesday, it will allow for an application for the accused to appoint proper legal council during the trial, which the court agreed to.
The postponement was necessitated by the death of his instructing council, Advocate Louis Botes, last month.
‘Although the accused does not wish to waste the court’s time and wishes for a speedy finalisation of the case, he still has constitutional rights and he deserves the right representation during the sentencing part of the trial, which is a very crucial part of the case,’ Theron said.
He also argued that the accused needs enough time to consult, however the period between the date of conviction, which was Thursday, 20 June, and the sentencing date, did not allow for enough time for consultations, hence the need for the postp
onement.
Dippenaar was convicted of the murder of six people, reckless and negligent driving, as well as driving without a valid driver’s licence after causing a head-on collision with another vehicle in a road crash that occurred at Henties Bay Road on 30 December 2014.
The six deceased persons included three German tourists, who were all related, as well as three Namibians, who were acquaintances of Dippenaar, including his then girlfriend.
The deceased tourists were Marcus Walter Helmut Joschko, his wife Stephanie Dorothea Schemick-Joschko and daughter Alexandra Marlene Joschko, who was 19 at the time of death.
The Namibian citizens were Dina Pretorius, Charlene Schoombe and Jan Carel Horn.
The deceased German couple’s younger daughter, Antonia Klara Joschko, who was 16 at the time, survived the incident and has been a state witness in the case.
Magistrate Gaynor Poulton presided over the case, while Advocate Henry Muhongo represented the State.
Dippenaar is remanded in custody, where he has been he
ld since his guilty verdict last week.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency