1. Former Perth schoolboy accused of killing his family allegedly smoked cigarettes while waiting for his sister to die.
Henri Van Breda’s defence presented a strong and convincing case in the Cape Town High Court today. Read the full breakdown of today’s closing arguments… @Traceyams https://t.co/FBL9pzpJC3 pic.twitter.com/3UdzatCY7u
— Cape {Town} Etc (@CapeTownEtc) February 13, 2018
A former Perth student allegedly smoked cigarettes and called his girlfriend as he waited for his sister to die, a courtroom has heard.
Henri van Breda, 23, is on trial for the murders of his parents and brother in the family’s Cape Town mansion in 2015.
He allegedly killed Teresa, 55, and Martin van Breda, 54‚ as well as his older brother Rudi, 22, with an axe. He also allegedly stabbed his sister, Marli, then 15, who survived.
Following the attack – which van Breda claims was by a masked intruder – the accused did nothing to help his alleged victims as they lay bleeding and dying.
The former physics student admitted to witnessing the gurgling and twitching of his family members as they suffered with their injuries, Daily Mail reports. But there was a gap of several hours between when the attack occurred and when he called the police.
As closing arguments are delivered, the court has heard how instead of helping Marli, a 20-year-old van Breda smoked three cigarettes and called his girlfriend, Nine News reports.
When he finally did call emergency services, he was so calm the operator thought it was a prank.
The 23-year-old testified that an intruder entered the house in a gated community outside of Cape Town, and swung the axe at the heads of his mother, father and brother before he could intervene.
According to Daily Mail, van Breda claims he disarmed the intruder. However the prosecution says the superficial wounds van Breda suffered were “text book” and “self-inflicted”.
The defence has begun its closing argument and a verdict is expected in coming weeks.