Former Melbourne university student Henri van Breda found guilty of killing family in South Africa

A FORMER University of Melbourne student has been found guilty of murdering three family members in a savage axe attack that left his little sister fighting for her life.

FORMER Melbourne university student Henri van Breda has been found guilty of murdering three family members in a savage axe attack that also left his little sister fighting for her life.

The South African, 23, was today found guilty in the Western Cape High Court of murdering his parents Martin and Teresa and older brother Rudi van Breda in Stellenbosch, a scenic winery region in the Western Cape, on January 27, 2015.

Rudi and Martin were found hacked to death in an upstairs room‚ while Teresa and Marli were found “nearby in the doorway” close to the same room.

ANDREW RULE: SON STANDS TRIAL OVER AXE SLAUGHTER

Van Breda — who studied physics at the University of Melbourne — remained expressionless as he was also found guilty of attempting to murder his sister in the attack and of obstruction of justice.

Marli, then 16, suffered severe injuries and is reported to be unable to remember the incident. Emergency personnel told the court that the scene was so gruesome that blood had flowed down the staircase at the luxury home, known as the De Zalze Estate.

Henri van Breda, 23, was expressionlesss as he was found guilty of killing his wealthy parents and his brother in a frenzied axe attack that also left his sister severely injured. Picture: AFP Photo / Rodger Bosch

Judge Siraj Desai spoke for five hours at the end of a long hearing before giving his verdict. He told the court the version of events Van Breda provided was inconsistent with objective evidence, and the killer had amended material aspects of his story.

In absence of an intruder, the inference was that he wanted to mislead police, inflicted injuries on himself and threw an axe to stage the scene. “The result is inescapable,” said the judge.

The van Breda family emigrated to Australia in 2005 and lived in Perth.

The Van Breda’s sold their Claremont home and moved to Buderim, Queensland in 2012 because of another business opportunity and to be closer to their sons who were studying at university in Melbourne, before eventually moving back to South Africa in mid-2014.

The eldest son, Rudi, studied mechanical engineering at Melbourne University alongside his younger brother.

Emotional state is inconsistent with being a victim of crime and for someone who lost most of his family members. Calm and able to relay his verison of events to police. #VanBreda

— Tammy Petersen (@TammyPetersen87) May 21, 2018

Question remains: what transpired in 2h40m? He fell down stairs, but only later lost conciousness. Could not explain why he wanted to go back upstairs. #VanBreda

— Tammy Petersen (@TammyPetersen87) May 21, 2018

Tributes were posted online to Rudi, who was a keen rugby player and rower.

“Rudi was a keen sportsman and was highly regarded amongst his peers as a good-natured and friendly person, someone who was always willing to lend a hand and help out younger students,” University of Melbourne spokesman, David Scott, said.

Van Breda, who handed himself over to police in September 2016, earlier pleaded not guilty to all the charges, including an additional charge of obstructing justice.

He alleged he was using the bathroom facilities and playing games on his mobile phone when an intruder broke in and murdered his family. “I saw the silhouette of someone … the person was busy attacking, swinging an object at where Rudi was laying,” he told the court in November last year.

But the judge today said van Breda’s version of events didn’t stack up.

“The court is in agreement that it is highly unlikely that the security was breached by an intruder from outside the estate,” Mr Desai said.

“The accused could not say how the security was breached (and) confirmed that he never felt insecure, unsafe or threatened while living on the estate.”

The family’s fortune was estimated at the time to be around $16 million.

The van Breda family: (from left) Henri, Rudi, Martin, (front) Marli and Teresa. Source: Supplied Picture: Facebook

South African murder accused Henri van Breda arrives at the high court in the city of Cape Town on September 9, 2016. Source: AP.

The court heard that van Breda had not immediately sought help from neighbours, security or emergency services, not assisted his family in their dying hours and not warned his mother and sister about an alleged intruder following the attack on his father and brother. He instead smoked three cigarettes in the kitchen and called a schoolgirl from his mobile phone, the court was told.

“The accused denied having any serious arguments with his family and stated that there was nothing out of the ordinary the night before the attack,” Mr Desai said.

“It is nonsensical that an intruder with the intention to steal would go upstairs and start attacking the family.”

Mr Desai said the axe used in the attack was kept in the house. He also questioned why van Breda waited three hours to call security or the emergency services.

Marli van Breda survived the attack.

Marli van Breda is reportedly unable to remember the incident in which three of her family members were murdered and she was attacked.

“If the accused’s intention was to be helped as soon as possible, it does not explain why he first called his girlfriend, a minor schoolgirl residing in a hostel, several times from his mobile phone,” Mr Desai said.

Van Breda suffered superficial stab wounds which he said were caused while wrestling with the attacker who was trying to slit his throat. He said he then fell unconscious.

The state insisted the wounds were self-inflicted.

Wearing a grey suit and navy blazer, Van Breda struggled to stay awake in the dock on Monday, nodding heavily as the grisly deaths of his family were detailed by the judge.

[e-mail] | @Megan_Palin

Originally published as Former Melbourne university student Henri van Breda found guilty of killing family in South Africa