Henri van Breda will hear his fate in the Western Cape High Court today, three years after his family were brutally murdered at their luxury Stellenbosch home. Henri stands accused of killing his father Martin, his mother Teresa and his brother Rudi, he has also been charged with the attempted murder of his sister Marli.
The attack took place on January 27, 2015 – all four family members were savagely hacked with an axe. Henri has denied his involvement in the murders, saying they were attacked by two intruders who gained entry into the house. He sustained minor injuries from the attack which left most of his family dead.
Key factors in the case include security of the complex and forensic evidence. While the state allege the security on the estate was water tight, the defense brought forward evidence that breaches had occurred during that same night.
The state has also said there is not enough forensic evidence to show that intruders did indeed break into the house, the defense has said that the DNA evidence has not been collected properly and cast a shadow of doubt on this evidence.
No motive for the attack was proven in court, leaving many holes in the state’s case.
Today, presiding Judge Siraj Desai will hand down his judgement in a much anticipated conclusion to the lengthy trial.
Picture: Twitter