CHEERS broke out in court today as the three smirking rapists and killers of university student Hannah Cornelius were caged for life.

People jumped to their feet and applauded as Judge Rosheni Allie, who sentenced the trio, slammed them for “violating” the Stellenbosch University student’s “privacy, dignity and humanity”.

10 Hannah Cornelius, a second year university student, was repeatedly raped and then murdered in South Africa Credit: Jamie Pyatt/Facebook

The 21-year-old was last year carjacked by four men while dropping off a fellow student at his home, who they also attacked, in Stellenbosch, west of Cape Town, after a night out.

Geraldo Parsons, 27, Vernon Witbooi, 33, and Eben van Niekerk, 28, were last week found guilty of Hannah’s rape and murder in May 2017.

They have also been convicted of the kidnap, robbery and attempted murder of Cheslin Marsh.

Judge Rosheni Allie said the rape and murder of Hannah was the “crudest and cruellest form of violence”, reports the Mirror.

The killers wanted to take complete advantage of the young woman and the gang rape violated her “privacy, dignity and humanity,” she added.

“Tjank! Cry!” members of the gallery shout as the sentenced attackers are lef back to the holding cells. #HannahCornelius @TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/VK5hSoYMB0 — Tammy Petersen (@TammyPetersen87) November 12, 2018

10 The accused: Vernon Witbooi, 33, Geraldo Parsons, 27, Nashville Julius, 29, and Eben Van Nieberk, 28 Credit: Jamie Pyatt/TimesLIVE

10 People listening to today's sentencing cheered the judge's sentencing Credit: Twitter

New24 reported that the three men heard their fate in the Western Cape High Court.

Witbooi and Parsons were sentenced to life imprisonment for Hannah’s murder, and life for her rape. They each received 25 years for the attempted murder of Cheslin, 15 years for four counts of robbery and 10 years for the kidnapping of Cheslin, Hannah and Mimi October.

Van Niekerk was given life sentences for Hannah’s rape and murder, 20 years for each robbery, 10 years for kidnapping Cheslin and Hannah, eight years for kidnapping Mimi, and 20 years for the attempted murder of Cheslin.

A fourth man, Nashville Julius, 29, who was found guilty of kidnapping and robbing Hannah and Cheslin, was sentenced to 15 years’ jail for two counts of robbery and seven years for the students’ kidnapping. His sentences will run concurrently.

10 Hannah's badly battered body was found dumped near a work site Credit: Jamie Pyatt/Facebook

10 Parsons smirked as he was led from the dock

News 24 said that the State had called for life imprisonment for Hannah’s brutal gang rape and murder, as well as a life sentence for the attack on Cheslin, because of the severity of the attacks.

The judge said that none of the accused had shown true remorse and that it was appalling they had kept Hannah with them after dumping Cheslin, as it showed they wanted to take full advantage of her.

In video taken previously in the court, Parsons and Witbooi were asked in Afrikaans if they are sorry.

In the footage, Parsons can be seen smirking and Witbooi is then seen walking out of the room while giving a thumbs up to the camera.

The men robbed and assaulted Cheslin and left him for dead, before brutally raping Hannah, stabbing her in the neck and crushing her skull with a rock.

10 Fellow murderer Witbooi gave the thumbs up on his way to the cells

10 Shown smirking during the trial in the Western Cape High Court last month are, from left, Vernon Witbooi , Geraldo Parsons , Eben van Niekerk, and Nashville Julius Credit: Getty - Contributor

The trial heard Hannah had parked her blue VW Golf - a gift from her grandmother - outside his flat but as they parked a gang of four men attacked them, opening both doors.

In grainy footage, Hannah's blue Volkswagen Golf was spotted driving from his block of flats at 3.40am.

The car then appears on another CCTV camera at a petrol station an hour later.

A female figure seen in the front seat is believed to be Hannah in the last moments she was seen alive.

During trial it was reported that Parsons had plastic pearls embedded in his penis, likely making the rape more painful.

Parsons testified that as the group drove a terrified Hannah to an unknown spot she begged the men not to kill her after they “have sex with her”, according to Times Live.

10 Hannah Cornelius co-murder accused Geraldo Parsons testifies at the Cape Town High Court Credit: Getty - Contributor

10 Cheslin Marsh had been in the car with the student at the time Credit: Jamie Pyatt/Facebook

10 The massive rock used on Cheslin weighed nearly six stone

“While I was driving‚ Vernon gave me a condom‚ I don’t know where he got it from. Vernon said Hannah said we can have sex with her but then we must leave her after that,” a weeping Parsons told the court.

He claimed he was the first to rape Ms Cornelius, before Witbooi and van Niekerk, but “it didn’t feel right” because he had a wife and child.

During the trial Cheslin Marsh broke down in tears as he told how he was bundled into the boot during the attack.

Hannah was wedged between two of the four men in the VW Golf.

When they reopened the boot Hannah allegedly refused to get out, clinging on to the car.

Parsons told the court Van Nieberk stabbed her and then Witbooi threw a rock on her head.

CCTV of moment university student Hannah Cornelius was kidnapped in her own car before being gang-raped and murdered in South Africa

The six stone boulder had been used to cover a borehole and was slammed down on her head twice as she was held down.

They then drove out of the upmarket wine producing town of Stellenbosch and hauled Cheslin into the bushes, the judge was told.

Three men allegedly made him lay his head on a rock on the ground and battered his skull with bricks until they thought he was dead.

When Cheslin woke up, suffering severe head injuries and a broken arm, he staggered to a nearby home to raise the alarm about Hannah.

Unknown to him her body had been found earlier several miles away by workers and a huge police search was already underway for him.

Previously, a workman described to a court heard how he initially thought the badly beaten body of Hannah was a "doll".

Giving evidence, pathologist Deidre Abrahams said she would have died "instantly" from the force of being hit twice on the head.

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Three of the four accused, Witbooi, Julius and Van Nieberk, admit that they were present but claimed they only robbed the pair and did not commit the rape or murder.

The gang, then high on drugs, allegedly went on a robbery spree in the hijacked car robbing at least three women before the stolen motor was spotted and a high speed police chase began.

Three were arrested after dumping the car and fleeing and the fourth was arrested later.