Vincenzo Pietropaolo sentencing postponed to Thursday

The sentencing of a former Bank of Athens treasurer, Vincenzo Pietropaolo, for the murder of his wife and father has been postponed, the National Prosecuting Authority said on Tuesday.

Pietropaolo was supposed to be sentenced in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday but the matter was postponed to 5 November to give him an opportunity to consult a private social worker to present a pre-sentencing report in mitigation of a lesser sentence.

He was found guilty of the 2017 murders of his estranged wife, Manuela, who was shot nine times in her home in Brackenhurst, south of Johannesburg, and his father, Pasqualino, who was killed nine months before Manuela. Pasqualino’s death was initially believed to be a botched house robbery.

Pietropaolo was also found guilty of robbery with aggravating circumstances, the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition and defeating the ends of justice.

During court proceedings, it was revealed that the same gun was used to kill them, eNCA reported on Monday.

Many details in the case have emerged in the last three years.

The delay is one of many delays that have occurred in the matter.

Pietropaolo first tried to have the charges withdrawn, TimesLIVE previously reported.

The case was also delayed when Pietropaolo’s lawyer told the court he was not ready to proceed, TimesLIVE reported at the time.

Another delay was when Pietropaolo wanted the trial to be moved to a later date.

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