The appellant, a warrant officer in the South African Police Service assigned to the VIP Protection Unit, fatally shot his wife and adult daughter at his home in Pretoria on 12 September 2015 using his service firearm. Earlier that day he had travelled from Taung to Pretoria, consumed alcohol, and returned home where a brief, non-confrontational interaction occurred with his family. He then went to his bedroom, retrieved his firearm from a safe, and shot his daughter and wife multiple times in different rooms. Two eyewitnesses, his nephew and cousin, observed the shootings. After the incident, the appellant expressed remorse verbally but later denied responsibility, claiming to have blacked out. He was convicted in the High Court on two counts of murder read with s 51(1)(a) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 105 of 1997. Although the High Court found the murders to be premeditated, it held that substantial and compelling circumstances justified a deviation from life imprisonment and imposed an effective sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment. The appellant appealed against sentence, and the State cross-appealed.