A WOMAN has been convicted of murdering and beheading a Scottish grandmother after breaking into her house.
Sandra Malcolm was stabbed 24 times by Sheree Prince, 22, following a bungled robbery at her home in Cape Town, South Africa .
Prince then dismembered the 74-year-old by removing her head, arms and legs from her torso in a bid to conceal the crime.
She was later arrested and admitted the brutal attack when she appeared before a judge at Western Cape High Court, following two years of legal wrangling.
Mrs Malcolm, who was from Dundee, had initially been trying to help the young woman after she suffered an injury, but Prince turned on her, fearing she would call police.
The court heard that Prince had climbed in through Mrs Malcolm's window, claiming she had burned her foot.
The grandmother gave her tea and toast, but Prince feared the police would become involved and stabbed her when she offered to call an ambulance.
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Cape Town
Judge Bruce Langa said the 'horrifying' way in which Prince killed Sandra would count heavily against her.
At a hearing the judge said: "I accept the report by the forensic pathologist that the deceased was stabbed 24 times. This does not alter the accused's guilt, but will be relevant for sentencing."
He added: "The accused totally dismembered the deceased. She removed her head and all the main limbs: legs, arms and knees completely.
"An attempt to cut both her thighs in half was unsuccessful. An attempt to cut the upper torso in half was also unsuccessful.
"There is no justification to kill the deceased unless she planned it. It was planned and she wanted to dispose of the body."
Police arrested Prince in Citrusdal, 100 miles north of Cape Town, a few days after the grandmother's death.
They linked her to the scene via fingerprints, mobile phone records and stolen goods they found at her father's house. After her first court appearance in 2015, Prince was admitted to a psychiatric centre.
Mrs Malcolm's body was discovered in a wheelie bin after her grandson reportedly climbed in through a window when she failed to answer the door.
She was found on a Sunday morning at her cottage in Lakeside, near Muizenberg, a suburb of the city.
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Lakeside, Cape Town Pic Google maps
The grandmother had lived in South Africa for 35 years and was survived by two daughters, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Mrs Malcolm's nephew, Colin Chalmers, of Monifieth, Angus, said in 2015 the family had been left 'distraught' by the violent killing.
He added: 'I've never had to deal with anything like this before, it's shocking.'
The case was adjourned until April 19 for sentencing.
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