Van Breda epileptic – doc

The evidence that triple murder accused Henri Van Breda has epilepsy is “unambiguous”, a neurologist testified in the Western Cape High Court yesterday.

The trial of the 23-year-old stood down two weeks ago when the court heard that Van Breda had a seizure on November 8. He spent the weekend in hospital where he underwent a series of tests and was diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

Dr James Butler told the court that given the media attention in this case, he had instinctively considered malingering, a feigning of illness for secondary gain.

But, after admitting Van Breda to hospital for the weekend, he had no doubt about his diagnosis: “Turns out he had had three major seizures. Nothing in life is certain, but it is highly likely he has juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.”

Electrodes recording the brain’s electrical activity for 24 hours and heart monitors were attached to Van Breda. Spikes appearing on the electroencephalogram (ECG) were strongly predictive of epilepsy, Butler told the court.

Butler believes Van Breda has had epilepsy for several years and when questioned about the severity of the seizures by Judge Siraj Desai, conceded that it doesn’t impair one’s daily functioning.

Van Breda is nearing the end of his mammoth trial for allegedly killing his mother, father and brother and severely injuring his sister in a vicious axe attack at their family home in Stellenbosch in January 2015.

He claims an intruder, armed with an axe and a knife, and wearing dark clothing, a balaclava, and gloves was behind the attacks. He said, in his plea explanation, that during the pursuit of the attacker he lost his footing and fell down the stairs. He added: “I do not know what made me fall, but my fall was quite severe.”

After the attacker fled, and trying to phone his girlfriend without success, the accused said he went up the stairs, where he could hear his brother Rudi in the bedroom. On the middle landing towards the top, he saw his sister Marli moving.

“I then lost consciousness. I am unsure whether this was due to shock or to the injuries that I sustained when I fell down the stairs, or a combination of both.”

Butler’s testimony could account for Van Breda’s memory loss during the 2hr 40m time lapse. He told the court that Van Breda’s girlfriend described an event in February 2016, in which they were discussing the court case and Van Breda became emotional. “She could see he was shaking but couldn’t see his face as it was dark. He appeared out of it and very tired once it was over.”

Butler said Van Breda’s girlfriend had reported “several episodes of memory loss”, but put it down to drinking too much alcohol. She told Butler that on November 8, Van Breda had “abruptly lost his memory”.

The trial continues.– ANA