Rehoboth sibling murderer Van Wyk sentenced to life imprisonment

A Rehoboth resident convicted of murdering his brother by stabbing him in the heart with a knife has been sentenced to life imprisonment at the end of his trial in the High Court.

Judge Dinnah Usiku sentenced Riaan van Wyk (46) to a life prison term on Friday, after describing Van Wyk as a danger to society who appears not to have been deterred by previous sentences that he received for violent crimes he had committed.

“The accused stands convicted of serious crimes, namely murder and attempted murder,” Usiku said during the sentencing in the High Court at Windhoek Correctional Facility. “These crimes are very serious and call for severe punishment.”

In terms of a regulation issued under Namibia’s Correctional Service Act of 2012, a prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment has to serve at least a period of 25 years’ imprisonment before they become eligible to be released on parole or probation.