The Pretoria High Court in South Africa has sentenced Paul Philipps Prinsloo, 63, to 25 years in prison for the premeditated murder of his wife, Magdalenne Prinsloo, 58, and stepdaughter, Ruzanna Prinsloo, 34.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) stated that on November 27, 2023, an argument broke out between Prinsloo, his wife, and his stepdaughter at their home in Kosmo Village, Hartbeespoort.
During the dispute, Prinsloo retrieved a firearm from his room and fatally shot both victims before placing a Bible on his wife’s body.
A witness at the scene took the couple’s 6-year-old granddaughter to safety and alerted the police, leading to Prinsloo’s immediate arrest.
Although he pleaded guilty to murder, he denied premeditation, but the prosecution presented evidence proving otherwise.
His defense argued for a lighter sentence due to his age, poor health, and time spent in custody, but the court found substantial reasons to deviate from life imprisonment.
Advocate Bongani Khoza pushed for a harsher sentence, citing gender-based violence (GBV) as a serious issue in South Africa.
The NPA welcomed the ruling, reaffirming its commitment to tackling GBV and violent crimes in the country.
