Killers of British couple in South Africa sentenced to life
Three people received life sentences for the kidnapping, robbery, and murder of a British couple in February 2018 in South Africa. The sentencing took place in the KwaZulu-Natal division of the Durban High Court.
A South African court has sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment for the kidnapping, robbery, and murder of a British couple in February 2018.
The victims, Rachel Saunders (64) and Rodney Saunders (73), were abducted while in the Ngoye Forest, about 150 kilometers north of the port city of Durban. The British botanists had been collecting indigenous plants and seeds. Their bodies were discovered days later in a river.
Saffydeen Aslam del Vecchio (46), his wife Fatima Patel (35), and Malawian national Ahmad Mussa were convicted of the murders last month. On Thursday, the KwaZulu-Natal division of the Durban High Court handed each of them two life terms.
The trio was also found guilty of stealing the couple's belongings, including bank cards that were used to purchase various items near Durban. Shortly after the couple's disappearance, their car was found with bloodstains, and 734,000 rand (about £42,000 or $44,700) was drained from their bank accounts.
In addition to the life sentences, each accused received 15 years' imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances and four years for theft. Del Vecchio was also sentenced to five years in prison for an unrelated case of malicious damage to property. All sentences are to run concurrently.
