David van Boven, one of men accused of murdering 19-year-old Jesse Hess and her grandfather Chris Lategaan in 2019, was on Tuesday sentenced to life in prison.
His co-accused Tasliem Ambrose received 12 years behind bars for two counts of robbery.
The first-year University of the Western Cape student and her 85-year-old grandfather were murdered in their home during a house robbery on August 30 2019. Two television sets, a cellphone, and a laptop were stolen during the robbery.
During the house invasion, Hess was found to have been sexually assaulted and suffocated to death while her grandfather was strangled.
Western Cape police said in a statement: “An intensive investigation by our detectives revealed that Van Boven committed the murders and that Ambrose participated in the robbery at the victims’ home.
“During the trial, the duo turned on each other, revealing the gruesome details of what had transpired on the day of the heinous crime.
“The Western Cape High Court found David van Boven guilty of two murder charges, two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, sexual assault and fraud. His accomplice Tasliem Ambrose was convicted for two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.”
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