Western Cape High Court Judge Vincent Saldanha handed down the sentence on Thursday, as her family looked on.

“The deliberate desecration of the body of the deceased by the accused and his wanton humiliation of her abounds as a serious aggravating factor,” he said.

Novella had convinced the successful marketing executive to travel to South Africa for treatment, after she lost her energy to Lyme Disease.

The scene of her murder was gruesome, and the horrific details emerged in court previously.

Novella had pleaded not guilty to her murder, saying a concoction of natural substances he had taken while on a “soul journey” and detoxification process in South Africa had caused him to behave in an abnormal manner.

But Saldanha found him guilty of murder in June, saying his version was “wholly contrived”. DM