First officer on Van Breda murder scene testifies

Sergeant Adrian Kleynhans was the first witness to testify in the case against Henri van Breda, accused of the triple axe killings of his parents and older brother.

The 22-year-old has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder, one of attempted murder and one of defeating the ends of justice.

His parents, Martin and Teresa van Breda, and older brother Rudi were all killed with an axe, which was entered as exhibit one on Monday.

His sister, Marli van Breda, who was 16 years old at the time, suffered severe brain injury but survived the attack. She has since returned to school, but has retrograde amnesia and therefore cannot recall the events of that night.

Kleynhans was the first police officer to arrive on the scene at about 7am on January 27, 2015. Testifying in Afrikaans, he told the court that when he arrived at the house with his gun held at a 45 degree angle, he saw Henri van Breda come out of the house and he instructed him to sit on the ground. The accused "appeared emotional, like he was blowing off steam, and was nervous but wasn't crying".

Kleynhans said Van Breda also smelt of alcohol.

He testified that he found no evidence of forced entry, but also no evidence that someone had cleaned the crime scene.

He said nothing looked out of place on the bottom level of the house. A laptop and handbag, with cash still in the wallet, were on the table. In Kleynhans' experience it was not a typical scene of a burglary, where everything is usually "deurmekaar" (all over the place).

Kleynhans said he saw one of the women moving her leg and told his superior to contact paramedics. When they arrived, the scene was cordoned off.

White walls of 1,3 meters high surrounded the house, but none had scuff marks on them. Kleynhans said a black gate with a key in it, that would have been used by the intruders to exit the property, was closed.

He also saw emergency numbers stuck on the fridge. The axe and the knife used in the attack were shown to him. While he recognised the axe, he said he did not recognise the knife.

Judge Siraj Desai described the axe as one used for chopping wood, about half a metre in length.

Earlier, Van Breda entered his plea explanation, describing step-by-step his version of how the evening unfolded. He said he had watched a movie with his brother and father. They went to sleep and he continued watching an animated movie and playing games on his phone.

Later, he was playing games on his phone when he went to the bathroom, and that was when he claims he heard loud bangs. When he opened the door, he saw his brother being attacked by a "laughing" axe-wielding intruder.

The man was then confronted by his father, who was also attacked. He also heard his mother shout "what is going on?" The attacker, he claimed, seemed "unconcerned" about his presence.

He further claimed he wrestled the axe away from the man and was "surprised by how easily I disarmed him".

The man also had a knife and cut and slashed at his chest, also slashing Van Breda's left arm.

Van Breda said he managed to strike the attacker with the axe, and he then fled the room. Van Breda recalled his brother writhing on the bed. He also heard angry voices, speaking in Afrikaans.

Marli and his mother were lying on the landing.

Van Breda said he then fell down the stairs. He saw the kitchen door was open and believed there were at least two attackers.

He said he wanted to call emergency services, but had no idea of the number, so called his girlfriend instead. She didn't answer.

He then found an emergency number, but twice failed to get through. He finally got through from the landline and tried to remain calm. He said he spoke calmly in case the operator did not understand his Australian accent.

He said he went outside to show the ambulance service where the house was. When police officers arrived, he said he told them to go upstairs.

Police took his clothes, leaving him in his boxer shorts. His stab wounds were dressed.

Van Breda told the police he thought the intruder was a black person.

Police told the doctor attending to him that they thought his wounds were self-inflicted. At the police station, the air-conditioning was turned up, so he was "freezing cold".

He said the police officer told him he did not believe a word of his "bullshit story".

Van Breda said by the time he signed his statement, he was exhausted and in shock and had not been warned of his rights.

An inspection-in-loco is expected to go ahead tomorrow, but it is unlikely the media will be allowed access to the property.

Kleynhans is expected to finish his evidence-in-chief on Wednesday.

Van Breda appeared exhausted throughout proceedings, stifling several yawns and glancing at the clock. During the tea adjournment, he discreetly took two puffs of his e-cigarette.

He is currently out on R100,000 bail. In terms of the law, if found guilty, he loses his claim to half of his parents' multi-million rand estate.