The sisters of slain school teacher Gill Packham are relieved that justice was meted out to her husband Rob after he was convicted of killing her and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by setting her car and body alight in February 2018.
Helen and Sue Humphrey issued a joint statement on social media following the judgment that was handed down in the Western Cape High Court on Monday.
"For the past 15 months we have been dealing with the brutal murder of our sister Gillian Packham (nee Humphrey) and the subsequent revelations of the tragic and painful circumstances she was subjected to in the years and months leading up her murder by Rob Packham," they said.
"The conspiracy of silence surrounding Gill" meant that it was only through the trial that they learned the full extent of what was happening in the Packham family in the last few months of her life.
"Today's outcome by Judge [Elize] Steyn allows us to acknowledge that justice has occurred for our sister. The fact that justice has been done does not take away the fact that girls lost their mother and we lost a beautiful sister."
The accused was expressionless when he heard that he had been found guilty.
Steyn found that the State witnesses had been honest, consistent and credible.
"The totality of the evidence points overwhelmingly to the guilt of the accused considering legal principles quoted. I find that the State has discharged the onus resting on it to prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt. His version is clearly fabricated, cannot reasonably, possibly or probably be true and is rejected."
She said the accused was an accomplished liar who deceived his wife, his girlfriend and family. He was shown to be living a selfish, destructive life.
"The accused did not act in a manner expected of a distraught and later bereaved husband and when he was challenged about his conduct, he responded in a manner incompatible with the situation," she said.
"During the proceedings in court, the accused did not express emotion, not even when the pathologist gave gruesome evidence of the injuries to the deceased."
The accused made a brief appearance in the High Court on Tuesday and his family was absent from proceedings.
The defence asked for time to consult with him ahead of sentencing proceedings and postponed the matter to Wednesday for possible evidence.
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