A mother who watched a Durban judge sentence the three men convicted of her husband's murder on Thursday now owes her father-in-law R20 because of a bet.

"I told her 30 to 40 years," said bereaved father Menelaos Nicolaides, after Mr Justice Hillary Squires sentenced one of the three men to 35 years' imprisonment.

Mpumelo Cyril Makhaya and Reginald Simange Mbele were sentenced to 25 years for the September 29, 1997 murder of Mr Nicolaas Nicolaides and the robbery of R40 from inside his pawnshop. Their co-accused, Peter Sithembiso Buthelezi, was sentenced to 13 years for his part in this murder and robbery. He drove the getaway car.

Makhaya was also sentenced to 10 years for the illegal possession of a submachine gun. The minimum sentence for this is five years imprisonment.

Outside the court Nicolaides said he was satisfied that justice had been done, but that his son was still lost to him.

In passing sentence, Judge Squires said the deceased was in the prime of his life and had a young family to support when he was killed.

Mr Nicolaides left his wife, Suzette, a daughter (now seven years old) and a son (now one year old).

Mrs Nicolaides said it was very sad that her son, Nicos, would not know his father, who was a shy, witty man. Her daughter, Katherine, had been traumatised by her father's murder, and the whole family was receiving therapy.

"Katherine wanted to come to court this morning and tell the judge her dad had beautiful eyes and that he wanted to disco dance, but couldn't," she said, her eyes filling with tears.

With acknowledgement to Sue Blaine and Independent Online.