MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR DOUBLE MURDER AND OTHER VIOLENT CRIMES
08 SEPTEMBER 2025
MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR DOUBLE MURDER AND OTHER VIOLENT CRIMES
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the sentence handed down by the Pretoria High Court to Raymond Steven Jan-Erick Smith (37) of Proclamation Hill. Smith was sentenced to two life terms for two counts of murder, three years’ imprisonment for attempted murder, and eight years’ imprisonment for attempted robbery with aggravating circumstances. The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently with life imprisonment. He was further declared unfit to possess a firearm. On 23 July 2025, the NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) secured a preservation order against his 2011 model Nissan X-Trail, valued at R65 000, which was used in the commission of the crimes.
Smith targeted the home of an elderly couple, Gerald Cantello (74) and Lilian Janson (71), after seeing their house valued at R2.7 million advertised for sale online. The advert included images showing several televisions and electronic devices, which attracted Smith’s attention. He contacted the estate agent under the pretence of being a potential buyer and visited the property on 16 January 2025 and again on 20 January 2025. On his third visit, 27 January 2025, around 18h00, he arrived with the intention of robbing the couple.
When Mr Cantello opened the door, Smith assaulted him, forced him into the toilet, and tied his hands with a cable tie. Mrs Janson, upon hearing the commotion, came to investigate, but Smith overpowered her, tied her up, and forced a rubber ball into both their mouths. The couple’s son, Grant James Cantello (47), and his wife, Heidi Cantello (47), who lived on the same premises, heard the screams and rushed into the house. Smith attacked them with a knife, fatally stabbing both on the scene. A 16-year-old boy, the son of the deceased couple, also tried to intervene but was stabbed. He managed to escape, locked himself in his bedroom, and called for help. Smith fled but was arrested the following day, 28 January 2025, at his residence while attempting to wash his bloodstained clothes.
In court, Smith pleaded guilty and requested a lenient sentence, asking the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentences. However, Advocate Lawrance More, for the State, successfully argued for life imprisonment. More emphasised that: The murders were premeditated, planned over 11 days, Smith had multiple opportunities to desist but persisted, the victims were killed in their own home, where they were supposed to feel safe.
The court also considered Victim Impact Statements (VIS) facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Lebogang Lebese. The 16-year-old survivor revealed the severe trauma he suffered, including having to change schools, which negatively affected his academic performance. Mr Cantello, who survived, spent three weeks in hospital and remains immobile due to his injuries. The judge found no substantial and compelling circumstances to justify a lesser sentence and ruled that the prescribed minimum sentences were appropriate.
The Acting Director of Public Prosecutions (ADPP), Advocate Marika Jansen Van Vuuren, praised the work of Advocate More and Investigating Officer Constable Ronald Ravele from Lyttleton Police Station. She commended their dedication, which ensured the conviction and sentencing of a man who senselessly killed innocent people out of greed.
Issued by:
Lumka Mahanjana
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Gauteng Division: Pretoria
073 002 0000