The two men accused of murdering, dismembering, boiling and then feeding their vicitms body parts to lions, acted in the furtherance of a common purpose.
This was the finding of Johannesburg High Court Judge Phillip Boruchowitz when he began delivering judgment on Monday in the trial of Wang Jin, 29, of Randburg, and Hong Zhu, 42, of Killarney, charged with murdering Wen Si, 23, in March last year.
Wen Si was killed after her husband, Yun Fu, had paid R80 000 of the R200 000 ransom demanded by the captors.
The accused are charged with kidnapping, robbery, murder, extortion, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. They've denied the charges.
Judge Boruchowitz said there was only one inference which the court could draw: that the accused were in constant consultation with one another throughout the commission of the crime, and had acted in consent.
"A vast body of circumstantial evidence that has been placed before court indicates that Wen Si was kidnapped, robbed and murdered," the judge told the court.
"The strange feature of this case is that Meili Si (Wen Si's mother) constantly communicated with accused two (Hong, who was her close business associate) in which she sought solace and guidance (without knowing he was the alleged perpetrator)," Judge Boruchowitz added.
The judge said he accepted certain aspects of Wang's version which directly implicated his co-accused in the murder of Wen.
Wang's detailed explanation of the dismemberment, boiling and disposition of Wen's body parts had been corroborated by forensic evidence.
Judge Boruchowitz described Hong's explanation of events as "unconvincing".
Judgment was to continue on Tuesday.