Marli van Breda has no recollection
MARLI van Breda still does not have any recollection of the night her mother, father and brother were killed, and she and Henri were injured with an axe.
Henri stands accused of the murders and attack on his sister.
Sergeant Marlon Appollis, the investigating officer, testified on day 34 of the trial that when he had arrived at the scene his first priority was Marli.
State prosecutor Susan Galloway also questioned Appollis about whether Marli made a statement.
“According to my knowledge Marli never gave a statement nor does she have any recollection of that night,” he said.
Later during cross-examination by Henri’s defence lawyer, Pieter Botha, it was mentioned that Henri’s statement claimed Colonel Deon Beneke told the accused that he had taken a statement from Marli.
Appollis said that as far as he knew Marli had never said anything.
Galloway also questioned Appollis about whether Marli was investigated, but he stated that there was no investigation of her while he was involved.
During cross-examinination, the investigating officer faced questions about the testimony of Marli’s ex-boyfriend, James Reede-Jahn, who had mentioned that he had seen a black axe head at the home leading up to the murders.
Appollis said that he doesn’t know about another axe, only the one that they had found on the crime scene, which had a green head.
Judge Siraj Desai also asked about a second axe to which Appollis had said, “other than colour, the axe matched the one on the scene”.
The witness had also been questioned about the cellphone records, but it led to them looking into the text messages between Reede-Jahn and Marli, but Appollis did confirm that he had an alibi.
Judge Desai then adjourned until Monday when the last of the State witnesses, blood spatter expert Captain Marius Joubert‚ will testify.