Cape Town - The men responsible for the rape and murder of Stellenbosch student Hannah Cornelius have been sentenced to life terms, plus lengthy sentences of between 115 and 128 years.
The Western Cape High Court sentenced two of the four men, Vernon Witbooi and Geraldo Parsons, to two life terms each plus 115 years imprisonment.
Eben Van Niekerk, the third accused was sentenced to two life terms plus 128 years.
Their co-accused Nashville Julius was sentenced to an effective 22 years.
Cornelius, 21, and her friend Cheslin Marsh, were hijacked while her blue Citi Golf was parked at the corner of Jan Cillier and Bird Streets, in Stellenbosch, on May 27 last year.
The two were kidnapped, and Cornelius was found dead a few hours later in Knorhoek Road, close to a wine farm in Stellenbosch. Her body was found face down with her pants lowered.
Marsh was assaulted and left for dead in bushes in Kraaifontein. The assault left him completely deaf in the left ear and he is still attending medical examinations for his head injuries.
Handing down the sentence, Judge Rosheni Allie said the accused were consistent and lucid in their modus operandi.
“The deceased was in the boot - same as Marsh, she was abandoned in the dark bushes left to die - same as Marsh. She was thrown with a huge rock to her head as she laid face-down - same as Marsh.
“The accused kept her captive and took the full advantage that the deceased was a woman and they gang-raped her for their own pleasure," said Judge Allie.
The gallery in the courtroom was full over capacity with some people standing.
Marsh also attended the proceedings, but sat at the back of the courtroom.
Witbooi, Parsons and Van Niekerk were convicted on ten charges, including the attempted murder of Marsh, the kidnapping of both Marsh and Cornelius as well as that of Mimi October.
They were also convicted of four charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Cape Argus