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Camps Bay killer Diego Novella sentenced to 20 years in jail

Guatemalan citizen Diego Novella has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for killing his US girlfriend, Gabriela Kabrins Alban, at a Camps Bay hotel in July 2015.

Western Cape High Court Judge Vincent Saldanha handed down the sentence on Thursday, as her family looked on.

"The deliberate desecration of the body of the deceased by the accused and his wanton humiliation of her abounds as a serious aggravating factor," he said.

READ: Diego Novella found guilty of Camps Bay hotel murder

Novella had convinced the successful marketing executive to travel to South Africa for treatment, after she lost her energy to Lyme Disease.

The scene of her murder was gruesome, and the horrific details emerged in court previously.

Novella had pleaded not guilty to her murder, saying a concoction of natural substances he had taken while on a "soul journey" and detoxification process in South Africa had caused him to behave in an abnormal manner.

READ: Novella gave us a life sentence without parole - victim's mom

But Saldanha found him guilty of murder in June, saying his version was "wholly contrived".

"In my view, he knew exactly what he was doing at the time and it was a clear indication on his part of the intent to murder the deceased," he said at the time.

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