S. African pleads not guilty to killing his family
Print Edition
A South African man accused of murdering three members of his family with an ax pleaded not guilty yesterday, saying he fought with a laughing attacker during the slaughter at their upscale home.
The trial of Henri van Breda began more than two years after his parents and older brother were killed in Stellenbosch, a scenic wine-growing region. Van Breda also is charged with attempting to murder his sister during the killing spree on January 27, 2015. Marli, then 16, suffered severe injuries and is reported to be unable to remember the incident.
The case, which shocked many people in a country that already has a high rate of violent crime, also has attracted international attention. The family had emigrated to Australia but returned several years ago. Martin van Breda, his wife, Teresa, and their eldest son, Rudi, were killed.
Police sergeant Adrian Kleynhans, the first officer at the crime scene, testified in the Western Cape High Court that he smelled alcohol on the breath of Henri van Breda. Kleynhans said the suspect “appeared emotional, like he was blowing off steam, and was nervous but wasn’t crying,” the African News Agency reported.
The police officer said he saw a laptop and a handbag with cash on the bottom floor, and that the area didn’t resemble a normal burglary scene in which things are usually scattered around.
Van Breda said he went to the bathroom that night, heard banging sounds and opened a door to see someone attacking his brother with an ax. He shouted for help and his father entered and accosted the attacker, who was wearing a ski mask, said van Breda’s account.
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