‘Seizure may explain Henri’s missing hours’
Van Breda suffers from epilepsy, neurologist confirms
DR James Butler‚ a neurologist who did tests on Henri van Breda‚ testified for the defence in the Cape Town High Court yesterday that Van Breda had a form of epilepsy which might explain the “missing” two hours and forty minutes in his version of events.
Van Breda is accused of axing his parents, Martin and Teresa, and brother Rudi to death‚ and leaving his sister, Marli, for dead at their luxury home on the De Zalze Estate in Stellenbosch.
The state had earlier argued that the nearly three hours during which Van Breda claims he was unconscious at the bottom of the stairs was a convenient explanation for a timeline that did not add up.
Van Breda’s defence counsel‚ Piet Botha‚ said his client had had a fit as the defence’s evidence in chief was about to come to an end‚ and had just been diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.
Butler testified yesterday that Van Breda could have had a seizure for half an hour and then experienced two hours and 10 minutes of amnesia thereafter.
“It is possible he wasn’t right in the head [nie reg in die kop] if he had had a seizure.”
He began his testimony‚ however‚ by making it clear that he was not simply a hired gun for the defence and had also consulted with the state.
“I made it very clear to both sides I do not wish to receive any remuneration for my part in this process other than being paid for the medical consultation of Mr Van Breda‚” Butler said.
The issue had come up previously that Van Breda had been malingering.
It came to light that since early in 2015‚ he has been taking anti-depressants to cope with both depression and anxiety.
Butler said that on November 8‚ Van Breda’s girlfriend – who also took the rap when the two were arrested for being in possession of dagga last year – had been discussing the trial with Van Breda. She claimed he was very stressed. He had then leaned forward and looked as if he was about to cough, but instead fell backwards whereupon his “eyes rolled back and his arms were shaking”. He lost his memory briefly. Van Breda’s face, according to the girlfriend, was red and his jaw was clenched.
After tests were carried out on Van Breda over that weekend‚ Butler had diagnosed him with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.
He said Van Breda had told him how he began descending the stairs on the fateful night on which his family was attacked.
“He said he had looked up from his phone while climbing the stairs and remembers seeing Marli at the top of the stairs and he remembered seeing her right arm and leg moving‚ and quite a bit of blood on her head‚” Butler said.
After the alleged amnesia that lasted almost three hours‚ he was “initially very disorientated”.
Botha then asked Butler to describe how Van Breda appeared in the photograph that showed him sitting in the ambulance in the early hours of the morning of the attack.
“He looked dulled‚ just like someone recovering from a seizure,” Butler said.
He said: “There is compelling evidence that he had an epileptic seizure on the night of the murder of his parents and brother.”
After his five-hour testimony‚ he said other explanations of amnesia could be eliminated‚ but his medical diagnosis plus the abruptness of the onset of amnesia meant “the only culprit left standing was epilepsy”.
But‚ Desai said‚ “that is only if we accept that there was in fact amnesia in the first place”.
The case continues.