Namibia: Psych Evaluation for Murder Accused Cop

A senior police officer accused of killing his former lover and mother of his two children in Keetmanshoop, will be undergoing mental evaluation before going on trial in the High Court.

Deputy Judge president Hosea Angula during court proceedings indicated that arrangements are being made to have Morgan Brian Plaatjie undergo psychiatric evaluation.

Thus, the court postponed the matter to 23 June, remanding Plaatjie in police custody at Seeis police station.

If found mentally fit to stand trial, Plaatjie will be tried on a charge of housebreaking with the intent to murder and murder, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, a count of attempted murder, two counts of contravening the Combating of Domestic Violence Act – contravening a protection order, one count of assault by threat and one count of malicious damage to property, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act.

All charges emanate from the death of his former girlfriend Yvette Sharon Louw, who died in June 2021.

The prosecution is alleging that Plaatjie and Louw were involved in a romantic relationship, from which two children were born. However, two years before her death, she terminated the relationship and moved into her own residence in Keetmanshoop’s Tseiblaagte residential area.

Due to ongoing assaults and threats of assault by Plaatjie, the deceased applied and obtained a protection order against Plaatjie, which was valid until August 2022.

He, however, violated the protection order on 7 May 2021, when he went to her house and insulted and threatened her as well as damaged her TV set. Consequently, she opened a criminal case against him, and he was arrested and granted bail.

It is further alleged that Plaatjie again went to the deceased’s house during the late-night hours of 25 June 2021, where he found her and her new boyfriend.

He started to stab the boyfriend, causing him to flee. He thereafter proceeded to attack Louw by stabbing her several times with a knife, causing her to seek shelter.

Plaatjie allegedly broke down the front door and bathroom door, where Louw had locked herself, and continued to stab her until she collapsed. He then called the police and reported that he ‘killed’ Louw.

The police arrived and took her to the hospital. She died there due to blood loss and injuries caused by the stab wounds.

For his case, Plaatjie is represented by lawyer Boris Isaacks.

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