The trio convicted of kidnapping, torturing, robbing and murdering British-South African botanists Rodney (73) and Rachel Saunders (64) have each been sentenced to two life terms plus 23 years imprisonment.

The sentences for Bibi Fatima Patel (36), her husband Sayefudeen Aslam Del Vecchio (46), and their Malawian accomplice, Ahmad Jackson Mussa (44), known as “Bazooka”, were handed down in the Durban High Court today, July 2.

Patel and Del Vecchio chose to remain in the holding cells and were not present in the courtroom.

Judge Esther Steyn found all three guilty on all counts, including murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances and theft.

Del Vecchio was also sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for malicious damage to property after setting fire to 20 square kilometres of sugarcane in the Umdloti area, causing an estimated R2.4-million in damage.

In sentencing, Steyn said the trio had deliberately targeted the couple because of their advanced age.

“They hunted them for their possessions without them posing any threat to the accused,” she said.

Referring to WhatsApp messages exchanged between the accused, Steyn agreed with the State that the crimes went beyond greed, saying they viewed the Saunderses not as human beings, but as prey.

She found that none of the accused had shown remorse or offered any explanation for their crimes, adding that the speed and calculated manner in which they spent the stolen money pointed to greed as the driving motive.

Steyn also criticised Patel and Del Vecchio for refusing to attend court during the latter stages of the trial, saying it demonstrated a complete lack of respect for the judicial process.

“The crimes not only left the community in shock but also caused [reputational] damage to South Africa and drew international attention,” she said.

“The couple were kidnapped, violently and gruesomely killed while minding their own business in the Ngoye Forest. If there were categories for murder, this one would be the most serious.”

Three years, 60 witnesses, one verdict

The trial took three years to conclude, largely because of 11 interlocutory applications brought by the accused, including bids to have the judge and prosecutor recused and requests for investigations into correctional services officials and court staff.

Steyn found the accused were chiefly responsible for the delays and therefore could not rely on their lengthy period in custody awaiting trial as a substantial and compelling circumstance warranting lesser sentences.

The State called 60 witnesses, including a forensic anthropologist who analysed the couple’s skeletal remains to distinguish injuries caused by animal predation from those inflicted during the attack. The expert was the first forensic anthropologist to testify in this capacity in a South African court.

Steyn praised the police investigation and prosecution for painstakingly proving that the badly decomposed remains recovered from the banks of the Tugela River were those of Rodney and Rachel Saunders, and commended everyone involved in bringing the complex matter to a conclusion.

A UK-based relative, who asked not to be identified, thanked the South African authorities for their perseverance and professionalism throughout the investigation and trial, paying particular tribute to the South African Police Service, the prosecution team and the court.

“Rod and Rachel Saunders spent the final period of their lives doing what they loved. They were truly soulmates and I only hope that brought them some comfort until the end of their lives under such tragic circumstances,” he said.

He added that while the sentences brought justice and a measure of closure, they could never bring the couple back.