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Henri van Breda: Axe murderer transfixes South Africa Henri van Breda trial: The man who killed his family with an axe
(about 2 hours later)
A paramedic describing the aftermath of the attack on the Van Breda family said it was the worst thing he had seen in his 39-year career. A South African paramedic describing the aftermath of the attack on the wealthy Van Breda family said it was the worst thing he had seen in his 39-year career.
"Blood ran like a waterfall down the stairs," testified the now-retired Christiaan Koegelenberg. "Blood ran like a waterfall down the stairs," testified now-retired Christiaan Koegelenberg.
Henri van Breda used an axe to kill his mother, father and brother, while his younger sister managed to survive. More than three years after Mr Koegelenberg walked into the midst of that horrific scene, a judge has found the family's only surviving son, Henri, guilty of using an axe to kill his mother, father and brother.
The motive for the horrific murders is still not known - some believe it was to inherit his father's estate but this was never proven. But whatever the motive, investigators and South Africans alike have been left cold by the violent nature of the attack. His younger sister managed to survive the attack in their home in a gated housing estate in Stellenbosch in South Africa's wine region.
Van Breda is due to be sentenced shortly for the killing of his wealthy family in a supposedly secure estate in South Africa's wine country of Stellenbosch. Van Breda, who was 20 at the time of attack, is due to be sentenced soon - but the motive for the horrific murders is still not known.
It was in the morning of 27 January 2015 that Mr and Mrs Van Breda were found in a pool of blood on the first floor of their upmarket home on the De Zalze Golf Estate. Some believe he did it was to inherit his father's multi-million dollar estate, but this was never proven.
Close by were their son, Rudi, who was also dead and their 16-year-old daughter Marli, fighting to stay alive. All three where found within a confined space. Whatever the motive, investigators and South Africans alike have been left shocked by the violent nature of the attack.
The attacker had moved quickly and determinedly. The Western Cape High Court agreed that the extent of the injuries meant that the assailant intended to kill. 'Close-knit family'
Who would want to kill the family, and in a manner as brutal and merciless as this? Martin and Teresa van Breda were found in a pool of blood on the first floor of their home on the De Zalze Golf Estate on the morning of 27 January 2015.
No-one, says Henri's van Breda's Uncle, Cornelius Andries. Close by was the body of their 22-year-old son Rudi and their 16-year-old daughter Marli, who was fighting to stay alive. Van Breda, meanwhile, had sustained only minor injuries.
He testified that his 54-year-old brother Martin and sister-in-law Teresa, 55, were loving people who had no enemies. The attacker had moved quickly and determinedly.
Mr Andries also told the court they were a close-knit family, something his nephew attested to. The Western Cape High Court agreed that the extent of the injuries meant that the assailant had intended to kill.
Who else could be responsible? Van Breda gave a statement to police soon after the incident saying that a well-built black intruder was to blame.
Van Breda gave a statement to police soon after the incident claiming that a well-built black intruder was to blame. He described a man wearing gloves and a balaclava breaking into the family home.
He described a man wearing gloves and a balaclava breaking into the family home and attacking them. A recording of his phone call to the emergency services, made at around 07:00, was played to the court.
"My... my family and me were attacked... by a guy with an axe," he said in a phone call to emergency service around 07:00 that morning. The recording was replayed to the court. "My... my family and me were attacked... by a guy with an axe," he said.
On initial inspection, his story seemed plausible. After all, Van Breda himself had also sustained minor lacerations during what he said was an altercation. But who would want to kill the family in such a brutal and merciless manner?
He later told the court that he wrestled the intruder who then stabbed him in the torso with a knife. "No-one," said Cornelius Andries van Breda.
The court later found that many, if not all, of his injuries had been self-inflicted. He testified at his nephew's trial saying that his 54-year-old brother Martin and sister-in-law Teresa, 55, were loving people who had no enemies.
An alibi gone wrong He told the court they had been a close-knit family.
This explanation was readily believed, at first at least, because of South Africa's high crime rate which leaves many living in fear of the "intruder in the mask". 'Houdini could not have broken in'
Sooner or later all the questions starting pointing to Van Breda as the only suspect. Initially, Van Breda's version of events seemed plausible - he had sustained minor lacerations.
Eighteen months into the investigation, police instructed Van Breda to to hand himself in or face arrest. South Africa's high crime rate also made it believable - many live in fear of the "intruder in the mask".
He duly turned himself in but insisted he was innocent. Months later, he would stand trial for the murders of his family members. Van Breda told the court that he wrestled the intruder, who then stabbed him in the torso with a knife.
During the trial, the prosecution carefully pointed out the many inconsistencies in Van Breda's testimony. But 18 months into the investigation, police believed Van Breda was the only suspect.
He maintained his innocence during the trial.
The court heard that many, if not all, of his injuries had been self-inflicted.
The prosecution pointed to many other inconsistencies in Van Breda's testimony.
Why would an intruder seeking to rob a home ignore valuable items downstairs and embark on a killing spree upstairs instead?Why would an intruder seeking to rob a home ignore valuable items downstairs and embark on a killing spree upstairs instead?
Van Breda couldn't answer that. Van Breda could not answer that.
He also couldn't answer why there were no signs of forced entry. Nor why he had escaped with only minor bruises when his loved ones died from deep gashes to their heads. He also could not answer why there were no signs of forced entry or why he had escaped the deep gashes his family suffered.
Experts who analysed the injuries testified that they came from one attacker, who used the same amount of force on each victim. Experts who analysed those gashes testified that they came from one attacker, who used the same amount of force on each victim.
Robust security A security expert, who testified during the trial, said that not even Houdini could have broken into their home.
Martin van Breda and his family had moved from Australia nine months earlier to the De Zalze Golf Estate in the wine-producing Western Cape. The De Zalze Golf Estate has been described as a "medium-security" gated community.
It has been described as a "medium security" estate, but the truth is De Zalze was considered one of the safest places to live in South Africa before this attack. But in truth it was considered one of the safest places to live in South Africa, with motion detectors, an alarm-system, 24-hour guard patrol, access-controlled gates and an electric fence.
Motion detectors, an alarm-system, 24-hour guard patrol, access-controlled gates and an electric fence are all in use at the gated community. Another inconsistency that unsettled the court was the amount of time it took Van Breda to ring the emergency services.
Such security features are meant to make it impossible for an intruder to break in undetected. Court papers reveal that a distressed Van Breda called his girlfriend at 04:42 numerous times, but they went unanswered.
Not even Houdini could pull off such a feat, remarked security experts who testified during the trial.
Another inconsistency unsettled the court - the amount of time that had passed before Van Breda rang the emergency services.
Court papers reveal that a distressed Van Breda called his girlfriend at 04:42 numerous times. But all of these calls went unanswered.
He then searched the internet for local emergency numbers, not calling for help until nearly three hours later.He then searched the internet for local emergency numbers, not calling for help until nearly three hours later.
It was clear to the court that Van Breda wanted his family to bleed to death. It was argued that Van Breda wanted his family to bleed to death.
Asked to account for the time lapse, the young man said he had collapsed after witnessing his family being attacked and remained unconscious for hours.Asked to account for the time lapse, the young man said he had collapsed after witnessing his family being attacked and remained unconscious for hours.
It was only when he came to that he asked for help, he added.
Months earlier, the van Bredas were living happily in Melbourne. So what attracted them to South Africa?
They moved back primarily because of Martin's business interests - he was a successful businessman with many interests, including real estate.
The other reason for returning to South Africa was his wife Teresa's desire to live closer to her family.
Their son Rudi, a motorsport enthusiast who enjoyed beer, remained in Australia with brother Henri where they studied at the University of Melbourne before joining the family in South Africa later that year.
In court, Henri van Breda said they were "a normal family" with normal disagreements.
If any of the children got into arguments with their parents, it was generally his teenage sister Marli who was "growing and rebelling," he said.
Many who heard the story empathised with Van Breda, who had apparently survived the attack, and his sister who was barely alive in hospital fighting for her life.
Marli to this day has no recollection of that horrific day.
Her extensive head injuries and self-defence wounds were used to lead testimony in court.
Of all the victims, Marli had put up the greatest fight.
Unlike her parents and 22-year-old brother who were believed to be asleep just seconds before the attack, she saw Van Breda coming and tried to fight him off.
Van Breda. in one of his three versions of events, testified that he'd helplessly watched on as a laughing intruder butchered his family one by one.
This showed that the robber "had fun murdering people," he said.
A neighbour living a few hundred metres from the Van Bredas' home told the court she heard what what sounded like loud, arguing voices late that evening.
The defence argued it was the sound of a film being played at a high volume, but neither the neighbour nor the court were persuaded.
There may have been an argument in the Van Breda house but over what it remains unknown.
'Black sheep''Black sheep'
Now it is up to the courts to deliver justice for the Van Breda family, who by all accounts were well-loved. Nine months before the attack, the Van Bredas had been living happily in Melbourne in Australia.
Neighbours and close family friends described Henri van Breda as always having been the "black sheep". They had decided to move back primarily because of Martin van Breda's business interests.
When the other van Breda children were thriving at school and university, he returned home for a "gap year" with no real plan for his life. His wife Teresa also wanted to live closer to her family.
Farther Martin van Breda was a loving but strict man - he wanted the best for his children and expected the best from then. Henri and their oldest son Rudi, a motor-sport enthusiast, remained in Australia as they were studying at the University of Melbourne.
Henri was hardly the model son. He reportedly had a drug addiction, leading his parents to threaten to cut-off his allowance if he didn't clean up his act. They then joined the family in South Africa later in 2014.
Many believe it was the pressure of not measuring up to the image of the perfect family that drove him to the edge. In court, van Breda said they were "a normal family" with normal disagreements.
We will never truly know what snapped in the mind of young Henri, only that something did and it left a bloody trail in its wake. If any of the children got into arguments with their parents, it was generally Marli who was "growing and rebelling," he said.
Marli, who underwent extensive surgery and physiotherapy after the attack, still has no recollection of the horrific day.
Her extensive head injuries and self-defence wounds were used to lead testimony in court.
Of all the victims, Marli, had put up the greatest fight.
Unlike her parents and brother, who were all believed to be asleep just seconds before the attack, she saw Van Breda coming and tried to fight him off.
A neighbour living a few hundred metres from the Van Bredas' home told the court she heard what sounded like loud, arguing voices late that evening.
The defence had argued it was the sound of a film being played at a high volume.
Neighbours and close family friends described van Breda as always having been the "black sheep" of the family.
While the other Van Breda children had been thriving at school and university, he had decided to drop out of his studies.
He came to live with his parents in South Africa in August 2014, taking a "gap year" with no real plan for his life - perhaps disappointing the expectations of his loving but strict father.
He reportedly also had a drug addiction, leading his parents to threaten to cut-off his allowance if he did not clean up his act.
But we may never truly know what snapped in the mind of Henri Van Breda.