Cape Town - The Mpumalanga High Court has sentenced Francois Pretorius, from Rustfontein Farm in Bethal, to 30 years’ imprisonment for murdering a married couple.
National Prosecuting Authority provincial spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said Pretorius, 45, pleaded guilty on both counts of murder.
He had entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the State.
In his plea, the court heard that Johannes Andries Beukes and his wife, Ibel, had visited Pretorius at his home in Rustfontein and the trio had coffee.
While having coffee, a heated argument ensued.
Pretorius then beat the couple with his fists and a torch.
After the assault, Pretorius loaded the couple’s bodies into the boot of their vehicle and drove to a veld.
He abandoned the vehicle near Bethal Dam, with the bodies inside.
Pretorius took the couple’s cellphones, wallets and jewellery and then fled the scene.
The post-mortem revealed that the cause of death was the injuries sustained during the attack.
Nyuswa said the court found no factors to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.
Pretorius was subsequently sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for each of the murders.
He was further sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
Nyuswa said he would effectively be serving 25 years’ direct imprisonment.