A South African court has sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment for the kidnapping, robbery, and murder of British couple Rachel and Rodney Saunders in February 2018. Saffydeen Aslam del Vecchio, 46, his wife Fatima Patel, 35, and Malawian national Ahmad Mussa were convicted of the murders last month.
The KwaZulu-Natal division of the Durban High Court handed down the sentences on Thursday. The trio were also found guilty of stealing the couple's belongings, which included bank cards that were subsequently used for purchases near Durban, according to the country's police service. In addition to the life terms, each accused received 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances and four years for theft. The sentences are to be served concurrently.
Del Vecchio also received a five-year sentence for an unrelated charge of malicious damage to property.
The British couple, described as botanists, were collecting indigenous plants and seeds in the Ngoye Forest, approximately 150 kilometers north of Durban, when they were kidnapped. Their bodies were discovered days later in a river. Shortly after their disappearance, their vehicle was found bearing bloodstains, and an estimated 734,000 rand (approximately $44,700 USD or £42,000 GBP) was withdrawn from their bank accounts.