Durban – Three men accused of strangling two pensioners in their home in Shongweni on the outskirts of Durban appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

The three are accused of murdering John Noble, 72, and his wife Hester, 68.

Noble was strangled with a wire, while his wife, who suffered from emphysema, was strangled with the tubes of her oxygen tank.

Their bodies were found at their Shongweni Valley home last week by neighbours.

Scelo Matabane, 30, Siyabonga Xaba, 24, and Philani Shange, 28, face two charges of murder, a charge of housebreaking, and a charge of aggravated robbery.

The three claimed in court through their court-appointed lawyer that they had been assaulted and Matabane said they feared for their lives if they were to be held at Hillcrest police station.

However, Magistrate Ishmael Motaung ordered that they be detained at the police station.

Matabane was sporting a grazed face, a swollen eye and limped into the court room.

Police said on Monday that eight people had been arrested and that four were directly linked to the murders.

The other four had allegedly received property stolen from the crime scene.

It was not clear when the other accused would appear or exactly what charges they would face.

They remained in custody until their next appearance in court on 21 November.

– SAPA