Man Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison For Murder Of Wife And Stepdaughter

The Pretoria High Court in South Africa has sentenced 63-year-old Paul Philipps Prinsloo to 25 years in prison for the premeditated murder of his 58-year-old wife, Magdalenne Prinsloo, and his 34-year-old stepdaughter, Ruzanna Prinsloo.

In a statement on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) revealed that Prinsloo lived with his wife, stepdaughter, and 6-year-old granddaughter in Kosmo Village, Hartbeespoort.

On November 27, 2023, while sitting outside his home with a friend, an argument broke out between Prinsloo, his wife, and his stepdaughter. He then went upstairs, retrieved a firearm, and shot his stepdaughter before turning the gun on his wife. After the killings, he placed a Bible on his wife’s body.

Realizing both victims were dead, Prinsloo’s friend took the young granddaughter away and alerted the police. Prinsloo was arrested at the scene the same day and remained in custody after the NPA successfully opposed his bail.

In court, Paul Prinsloo pleaded guilty to murder but denied premeditation. However, state prosecutor Advocate Bongani Khoza presented evidence proving that the killings were indeed premeditated.

During sentencing, Prinsloo, through his legal counsel, requested the court to impose a lesser sentence due to his age, ill health, and the fact that he had already spent over a year in custody awaiting trial.

Advocate Khoza, however, pushed for a life sentence, arguing that Prinsloo only pleaded guilty because of the overwhelming evidence against him. He emphasized that the crime was a serious act of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), a widespread issue in the country, and urged the court to impose a strong sentence as a deterrent.

When delivering the verdict, Judge Mashudu Munzhelele acknowledged that there were substantial and compelling reasons to deviate from the mandatory life sentence. These included Prinsloo’s age, his expression of remorse through financial support for his granddaughter, and his terminal illness.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the ruling and reiterated its commitment to combating GBV in communities.