Story, evidence ‘don’t match’

THE Western Cape High Court yesterday heard evidence that bloodstains found at the Van Breda family home did not support Henri van Breda’s police statement.

Police bloodstain analyst Captain Marius Joubert, on his second day on the stand, testified that Van Breda’s version of events was inconsistent with blood spatter patterns found at the family’s home in Stellenbosch. Furthermore, he found evidence that led him to believe the crime scene had been staged after the murders.

Van Breda, 22, is facing three charges of murder. His mother, Teresa, father, Martin and brother Rudi were killed with an axe. He also faces a charge of attempted murder for allegedly attacking his sister Marli.

Joubert told the court that his analysis of bloodstains and spatter patterns did not support Van Breda’s version of events in his police statement.

Van Breda had claimed that while inside the toilet he heard a noise from the bedroom he shared with his brother Rudi. He opened the door slightly and saw someone attacking Rudi. He said his father ran into the room, turned on the lights, and jumped on to Rudi’s attacker.

But Joubert said Van Breda’s position was inconsistent with blood spatter patterns found on his grey shorts and socks, which showed he had been “in close proximity to the source of blood when force was applied”.

Joubert said Van Breda also did not have any explanation for Rudi’s body being near the entrance of the bathroom door. Joubert believes the body was moved from the bed, leaving “wipe and swipe blood patterns”. He told the court that Van Breda’s father, Martin, had no defence wounds, which indicated that his attacker had surprised him.

In his statement, Van Breda also said the attacker had assaulted his mother in the passage, just outside the bedroom. In this instance, Joubert said bloodstain evidence was consistent with Henri’s version.

However, Joubert questioned his claim that he did not see the attack, saying the spatter on his shorts and socks did not support this.

Joubert also believed objects may have been washed because the blood of Rudi, Martin and a DNA mixture from Teresa was found in the shower. – ANA