Two of the three suspects who had a hand in the brutal murder of British expat, Sue Howarth, have been found guilty in the Breyten High Court today.

The judgement has finally brought some justice to Sue Howarth’s husband and close friends, after it has been postponed multiple times over the last six years.

Sue Howarth was brutally murdered on her farm, Marchlands in Dullstroom, on 21 February 2017 after she and her husband, Robert Lynn, were tortured for hours before they finally shot her in the head. (Read more elsewhere in this article)

Three suspects, Lucas Makua, and brothers Nkosinathi and Themba William Yika, were arrested and charged with her murder.

The court passed its judgement today after the following charges were read against the two Yika brothers. Lucan Makua died as a trial-awaiting prisoner.

Charges:

•Housebreaking with intent to rob/aggravated robbery

•Illegal possession of a firearm

•Illegal possession of ammunition

•Discharge of a firearm in a public place

•Murder

•Attempted murder

•Theft

•Two counts of kidnapping

Nkosinathi Yika was found guilty on charges of house breaking under aggravated circumstances, discharge of a firearm, murder, attempted murder, and two counts of kidnapping, while his brother Themba William Yika was found guilty on all charges.

The case has been rolled over for pre-sentence reports to be filed at a later stage.

Sue Howarth’s surviving husband disclosed in an interview with www.mobserver.co.za what transpired on the night of her murder:

“I woke up because the dogs were barking and there was a racket at the bedroom window. After I stood up, I heard glass breaking. I suppose that is when they started shooting at us. I assumed they missed,” Mr Lynn said.

Men wearing balaclavas pounded on Mr Lynn, hitting him over the head with a gun. He was ordered to lie down. “They kept on asking where the money is. I told them that we don’t keep money but they would not believe me.”

Mr Lynn gave them a couple of hundred Rand he had in a money clip and his bank cards, telling his attackers that they will be able to withdraw R1 000 per day from it.

Mr Lynn was taken to the living room. He was covered with a blanket. Shortly after attackers started burning him with a blow torch on his chest and legs. His hands were tied with baling twine and robbers then started cutting him with a knife in order to get him to confess to keeping more money or a gunsafe somewhere.

“They were looking for things we just don’t have. I said to them that whoever gave them their information, gave them the wrong information. One of them replied with ‘No they didn’t.’”

Mr Lynn kept on calling to his wife in the bedroom, who he last saw lying in a sleeping position. She did not answer.

“The small dark one, who seemed to be the leader, smacked me over the head with his gun and told me to shut up.”

Mr Lynn was put in the back of their Nissan Hardbody double cab. His attackers pulled a black bag over his head. “I suppose they wanted to suffocate me, but I managed to bite a tiny hole through the bag through which I could breathe.”

He heard his wife moaning as she was thrown into the loading bin of their bakkie. The attackers struggled for a while to reverse the vehicle out of the parking.

“I thought we were going to Dullstroom to withdraw money. But then they turned towards Belfast,” says Mr Lynn.

The attackers drove on back roads through Belfast and Siyathuthuka and onto the road towards Stoffberg.

“They kept on stopping and going. When they stopped for good, they pulled me out of the vehicle by my hair.”

Robbers walked with him into the field, where he had to crawl through a barbed wire fence and ordered to stand on his knees.

“That was the last thing I remember. I thought I was dead after that until I looked up and saw the stars.”

It took Mr Lynn some time to free his hands, after he crawled back to the road. “When I got to the road, something told me to turn right. But left made more sense because it was downhill. I turned right. I was not steady on my feet so I crawled most of the way. I thought I heard a cow mooing. Later I realised that it was Susan moaning.

“I crossed the road, crawling most of the way. On the other side I saw Susan, lying in a ditch. Her hands tied behind her back. She was bleeding from her head.”

“I didn’t know what to do. I could see that she was in a very bad state. I could sit with her but the best thing would be to try and get help. So I stood next to the road. Five trucks and two cars passed me. Hooting as they did.”