Man, 63, sentenced to 25 years for murdering wife and stepdaughter

The Pretoria High Court has sentenced 63-year-old Paul Philipps Prinsloo to 25 years in prison for the premeditated murder of his wife and stepdaughter in Hartbeespoort.

Paul was sentenced to an effective 25 years imprisonment for two counts for the premeditated murder of his 58-year-old wife Magdalenne Prinsloo and 34-year-old stepdaughter Ruzanna Prinsloo in November 2023.

The tragedy stemmed from an argument that ensued between Paul, his wife and his stepdaughter on 27 November 2023 at Kosmo village in Hartbeespoort.

Argument between Paul, wife and stepdaughter

The couple lived with Ruzanna and her six-year-old daughter. Paul was sitting outside his home when his friend visited, and the argument broke out.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the argument escalated to a point where the accused went upstairs to his room, fetched his gun and shot his stepdaughter.

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“When she fell, he proceeded to shoot the wife.  Thereafter, he went to fetch a Bible and placed it on top of the wife’s body,” Mahanjana said.

When Paul’s friend realised that the mother and daughter duo were dead, he took the granddaughter with him and called the police to report the matter.

Paul was arrested the same day on the scene and has been in custody since the NPA successfully opposed his release on bail. 

Accused pleaded guilty to murder

During the trial, Paul pleaded guilty to murder but not premeditated murder for the two.

Mahanjana said that the state prosecutor Advocate Bongani Khoza provided the court with evidence which proved that the murders were indeed premeditated.

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In the sentencing proceedings, Paul’s legal representation requested that the court divert from imposing the minimum sentence due to his age and poor health.

Additionally, he requested that the court consider the fact that he has already been detained for over a year while awaiting the resolution of his case.

“However, Advocate Khoza argued for life imprisonment and told the court that Paul only pleaded guilty because the state had overwhelming evidence against him and that he committed serious offences of gender-based violence (GBV) which is not only prevalent in this jurisdiction but the country as a whole,” Mahanjana said.

Serious offences of GBV

He added that the courts need to put a stop to this by imposing an appropriate sentence.

Because of his advanced age, the fact that he expressed regret by providing financial support to the grandson, and the fact that he is terminally sick, Judge Mashudu Munzhelele determined that there were significant and compelling reasons to depart from the minimum sentence of life in prison. 

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“The NPA welcomes the sentence and emphasises its commitment to fighting the scourge of GBV in the communities,” Mahanjana said.