THE three accused in the 2018 murder trial of British botanists, Dr Rachel and Rodney Saunders, have been sentenced to life imprisonment at the Durban High Court this morning (July 2).

Safdeen Aslam Del Vecchio (46), his wife Fatima Patel (35) and Ahmed Jackson Musa were found guilty by the court on June 19 on charges of kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, theft, and two counts of murder. NPA KZN spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Del Vecchio was additionally convicted of malicious injury to property.

They appeared this morning at the Durban High Court where they received double life sentences for the murders. KZN Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo said the trial commenced in April 2022 and there were numerous delays caused by the accused.

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“Del Vecchio, Patel and Musa were sentenced to two life imprisonment [terms] each for murder of the couple. They were further sentenced to 15 years each for robbery with aggravating circumstances and four years imprisonment for theft,” said Mhlongo.

“Del Vecchio was further sentenced alone to five years imprisonment for unrelated case of malicious damage to property. The accused were declared unfit to possess a firearm and their sentences will run concurrently.”

The trio was accused of kidnapping and murdering the couple between February 8 and 14, 2018, in the Ngoya Forest, Zululand. Before travelling to the Ngoya Forest on February 8, 2018, in search of rare and unique seeds, the couple had completed filming for a BBC documentary in the Drakensberg.

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Ramkisson-Kara said they were travelling in a vehicle carrying their research equipment and camping gear when they were accosted by the accused.

“The couple was kidnapped and robbed of their personal belongings. The accused gained access to the banking applications on their mobile phones and proceeded to conduct numerous transactions and cash withdrawals totalling more than R700 000,” she said.

“The Saunders were subsequently murdered, and their bodies were discovered a week later on the banks of the Tugela River.”

Del Vecchio, Patel and Musa were arrested soon after, leading to a lengthy trial.

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