Hannah Cornelius: 'Justice has been served on a platter'
Geraldo Parsons responds to those in the gallery who cheered his and his co-accused's life sentences in court. Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency (ANA) Geraldo Parsons responds to those in the gallery who cheered his and his co-accused's life sentences in court. Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency (ANA)
“Justice has definitely been served on a platter.” These were the words of Cheslin Marsh who survived a brutal attack by four men who had left him for dead when they kidnapped him and his murdered friend Hannah Cornelius.
Western Cape High Court Judge Rosheni Allie handed down double life sentences to three of the four men convicted of the rape and murder of Cornelius and for the attempted murder and kidnapping of Marsh.
Vernon Witbooi, Geraldo Parsons and Eben van Niekerk each faced 10 criminal charges including rape, murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and aggravated robbery.
Nashville Julius was sentenced to an effective 22 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated robbery and kidnapping of Cornelius and Marsh.
Cornelius and Marsh were hijacked while they sat in Cornelius’s car in Stellenbosch during May last year.
Marsh was assaulted with a brick and left for dead, while Cornelius was raped and stabbed to death.
Cornelius suffered a blunt-force injury to her head when a rock was dropped on her head.
Judge Allie said the rape and murder of Cornelius were both executed in a “violent, brutal and humiliating manner”.
“There is no doubt that the accused were lucid and consistent in their modus operandi. This was a harrowing experience for Cornelius to be assaulted this way.
"They could see the fear in her eyes and took full advantage to rape her for their own selfish sexual pleasure,” Judge Allie said.
“(Rape) is a very serious offence and is an invasion of privacy of the victim. The accused preyed on the vulnerability of Cornelius and it was the crudest and cruellest form of violence,” she said.
Judge Allie said none of the accused showed remorse but rather “felt sorry for themselves”.
“None of the accused took the court into their confidence and they chose to plead not guilty. When (Parsons) was asked why he robbed Marsh and Cornelius when he was employed, he said ‘that’s the way life works’.”