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A gang member accused of raping and murdering a South African student has plastic pearls embedded in his penis which would likely have made the sex attack more painful.

Geraldo Parsons is one of four men accused of murdering Hannah Cornelius who died after the group allegedly took turns to rape her before crushing her skull with an 82lb boulder.

The group had carjacked and kidnapped Hannah, 21, and her friend Cheslin Marsh, 22, after she gave him a lift to his home in Stellenbosch, west of Cape Town, in May last year.

Parsons, 27, was questioned about the plastic pearls in court.

Parsons claimed the piercings were part of his Jewish religious culture and gave his girlfriend pleasure, according to Afrikaans news outlet Die Son.

(Image: Gallo Images / Getty) (Image: facebook)

But in other unrelated cases criminals have been accused of inserting similar appendages to inflict pain during sex, the Sun reports.

Initial questions about the penis piercings raised objections, which were withdrawn, prompting Parsons to say the pearls were "his privacy", Tammy Petersen, a reporter for News24, tweeted.

The distressing detail is the latest to emerged from the murder trial.

At an earlier hearing, it emerged that Hannah's parents were sent a letter from one of her alleged gang-rapists begging for their forgiveness.

Parsons and co-accused Vernon Witbooi, 33, Nashville Julius, 29, and Eben Van Nieberk, 28, face charges including murder, kidnap, robbery and rape.

(Image: Gallo Images / Getty)

Three of them, 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.

One of the accused, Eben van Niekerk, penned the letter but claims he was told to write in by Sergeant Steven Adams.

The letter was reportedly written after his arrest and before the four men first appeared in court.

It was translated from Afrikaans and had a number of errors. The top of the letter says: "This letter comes from Eben VNK" and it was also signed and initialled.

When translated, the letter reads: "Herewith I write this letter to Henna's mom and dad. I am sorry for what I did and I ask if they can forgive me for what I have done…

"The girl was like a friend to me but the other accused, I was also scared of them and it wasn't nice to see. I was also scared of them. Don't be angry at me please (sic)."

(Image: @TammyPetersen87/Twitter) (Image: facebook)

One of the alleged attackers claimed Hannah told the gang they could have sex with her if they let her go afterwards.

The Magistrate's daughter had tried to bargain with the four men in a desperate bid for survival.

Times Live reports Parsons as saying: "Vernon said Hannah said we can have sex with her but then we must leave her after that."

Parsons told the court that the gang wanted to steal the car but things escalated when they realised Hannah and Cheslin were still inside.

But the men allegedly used a massive 82lb rock, which was preciously shown in court, to smash in her skull.

The 2ft boulder had been used to cover a borehole and was slammed down on her head twice as she was held down, Western Cape Court heard.

To make sure she was dead, one of her killers also plunged a knife into her neck, it is alleged.

Parsons cried as he told the court that he hadn't wanted to rape Hannah as he had a girlfriend and young children but he "did it anyway".

He had pleaded not guilty but his testimony saw him confess to the murder - and implicate his co-accused.

Parsons said he raped Ms Cornelius first, followed by Witbooi and then van Niekerk.

He claims he tried to get them to release Hannah but they put her in the boot and drove her to a vineyard.

"She didn't want to climb out of the boot. She was holding on to the car. She started panicking. Eben came up and stabbed her. I let her go as the blood started to spill.

"Then I saw Vernon arrive with a rock. I told Vernon 'don't kill her, we've already killed Cheslin, let's leave her'. But Vernon threw the rock on Hannah's head."

Mr Marsh managed to stagger to a nearby house covered in blood and raise the alarm.

The court heard Hannah went through an “extremely painful” ordeal before she was killed.

Hannah suffered severe vaginal and cervical injuries in the prolonged attack.

Heavy bruising on her arms show she had been held down and it is believed that probably several of the gang lifted the huge rock and dropped it on her head.

Forensic pathologist Dr Deidre Abraham who carried out the autopsy on Hannah said that her murderers dealt the fatal blows by dropping the rock twice.

She said: “The skull is made up of very strong bones indeed. It is not easy for a skull to break or crack unless a lot of power is used to actually break the skull.

“The blunt force injuries to her head were very rapidly fatal” she said.

(Image: facebook)

Hannah was the daughter of magistrate Willem Cornelius and lawyer wife Anna, 56, who tragically drowned while swimming 10 months after her murder.

Hannah was a straight A’s student and in her second year at Stellenbosch University studying for a Bachelor of Arts when she was attacked and murdered.

Fellow student Mr Marsh broke down in tears as he told how they were hijacked and he was bundled into the boot while Hannah was held inside the car.

He said they had been for a few drinks and said he was going to use his skateboard to get home but Hannah insisted on driving him in case he was robbed.

(Image: facebook)

Mr Marsh said when they pulled up the gang pounced threatening to stab Hannah to death with a sharpened screwdriver and him to death with a knife placed at his back.

He described how they were driven to a suburb of Cape Town called Kraaifontein 11 miles from where they were hijacked in Stellenbosch and he was pulled from the car boot.

He said: “I lay down on the ground as they told me and put my head on a rock. I closed my eyes and I prayed. The two men were standing over me with bricks in their hands.

“I lost consciousness and when I woke I was in horrible pain, everywhere pain. When I last heard Hannah talking her voice was very soft and I could tell she was scared”.

Unknown to him when he recovered consciousness the next day, his friend's body had already been found, the Daily Mail reports.

A big search was on to find him and the attackers.

(Image: facebook)

Mr Marsh was so traumatised he never returned to his studies and is now deaf in one ear as a result of his injuries and vivid scars could be seen on his head as he gave evidence.

One of the men accused of the murder of Hannah had his confession made the day after his arrest read to the court and said the gang went into town “to see what they could get”.

Witbooi alleged the other three took Mr Marsh out the boot while he had a “smoke” and into the bushes and said they told him they had tied him up and left him to be found.

He said he was “only after money” and said after Mr Marsh was left for dead the gang drove off and later took Hannah into bushes but denied any part in her rape and murder.

Witbooi said that three others returned from the bushes after raping Hannah and said: “While we were driving Parsons said I had missed out on having had sex with her.

“He said they had tied the girl up and that the workers would find her tomorrow” he said.

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

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

The trial continues.