Van Breda shows no emotion in house of horrors
THE HOUSE where three members of a family were hacked to death and the 16-year-old daughter was critically injured with an axe was the centre of attention in the court case in which the youngest son is accused of the brutal crimes.
The house in Goske Street in the De Zalze Estate in Stellenbosch made headlines two years ago when the son, Henri van Breda, was accused of killing his parents, Martin and Theresa, and his older brother Rudi. His sister Marli was left critically injured.
Yesterday, the Western Cape High Court conducted an inspection in loco following Van Breda’s plea explanation. He drove into the estate with his legal representatives.
Their car was soon followed by that of presiding Judge Siraj Desai. The large contingent of media following the case were allowed entry to the high-security complex a few minutes later.
The inspection began outside the yard of the house where the axe murders occurred, with Van Breda present.
The 22-year-old was dressed in a blue suit and his expression remained stone-faced. He walked around the yard and entered the house with the court officials.
Prosecutor Susan Galloway informed the court of what would transpire at the site inspection.
She observed that all the houses in Goske Street had the same architectural appearance and stood in uniform with white paint, small gardens in front, two side security gates and high walls.
Galloway said the inspection would highlight the dimensions of the room where Van Breda’s brother and father were found, the kitchen, as well as the stairs and bathroom.
The court would also pay attention to the wall of the house adjacent to the room where the two males were found, where blood splatters were discovered.
The table, which had the valuables such as the expensive bag, laptop and the cigarettes that the accused smoked, would also be assessed.
Van Breda’s lawyer, Pieter Botha, gave two short demonstrations on how entry could be gained into the house.
Defence lawyer Lorinda van Niekerk asked him to jump over the walls into the yard.
A neighbour of the deceased family, former sports presenter Martin Locke, looked on.
Locke relived the tragic morning in January 2015 when he learnt of the gruesome triple murder.
“I was at home at the time and was up at 3.30am doing some stuff, but I heard no noise.
“I was shocked to see three police vehicles in the parking lot in front,” he said.
Locke added that he and Martin van Breda shared a mutual interest in golf. He said he knew Theresa and Marli well, but was not so familiar with the two sons.
“They were good neighbours and very friendly,” he said.
Locke said the four-bedroom house, which was sold for R6.2 million, often evoked conversations of that fateful morning.
He said events on that night had also strengthened relationships in the community.
He described the gated community as a quiet, serene place where incidents such as the triple murder were strange and unexpected.
“This is an amazing place. One can’t get in and out, it has tight security. We have no fears…
“We just hope to find out what happened that night,” he said.
One can’t just get in and out here. Security is very tight