The State has called for the two men accused of murdering an elderly Ottery couple to serve life sentences if they are found guilty.

Gcinilelitha Ngcobelothe and Lwazi Ntsibantsiba appeared in the Western Cape High Court on charges of murder and robbery on Friday.

The case resumed following several postponements in recent years.

Video footage and witness testimonies placed the pair at the scene of the murder of elderly couple Rugeya Addinall and Riedwaan Addinall- both 82 years old- in January 2019. The couple was strangled to death while a toxicology report also found that Rugeya ingested rat poison.

State advocate Nadia Ajam explained how the suspects robbed them of their goods after posing as reliable home-workers. Ngcobelothe was employed as a gardener and was accompanied by Ntsibantsiba on the day of the murder.

A Neighbour, Masar Daniels, told the court that two crucial hours of video footage provided from his driveway went missing and cannot be recovered. Both suspects are out on bail.

The State put forth that should they be found guilty, minimum sentences of life imprisonment should be handed down.

VOC