Pretoria – The Pretoria High Court, sitting in Palm Ridge, on Tuesday sentenced Bongani Patrick Tau, 24, and Andile Mpangeva, 23, to 25 years in prison for the murder of prominent Vereeniging lawyer, Eric Hillary Lyell.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, said that at the time of the incident, Tau was employed by the victim as a general worker and stayed with him at his home in Three Rivers, Vereeniging. Mpangeva, who was friends with Tau, used to visit the place.
“On January 11, 2019, the two assaulted and killed the victim with a pick handle. After this, they took his vehicle, cellphone, wristwatch as well as his firearm with ammunition.
“They covered the deceased’s body with a plastic bag, drove to the Vaal dam where they dumped it and fled to the Eastern Cape.”
Mahanjana said Lyell was reported missing by his family after they could not reach him on the phone.
The two suspects were eventually arrested in the Eastern Cape on separate dates, January 14 and January 28, 2019.
They were charged and convicted of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and defeating the ends of justice.
“In court, they pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them and denied killing the victim. However, the State was able to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, due to overwhelming evidence against the two.”
IOL