South Africa - Martin, 55, Theresa, 54, Rudi van Breda, 22, murdered, 26 Jan 2015 #1

[JudgeJudi]

Hi JJ. It is not quite as simple as that. If HvB had premeditated this murder and searched for the axe murder on line he may well have done it on an unregistered phone. We don't know that yet. However, in the UK and South Africa it is still possible to pick up a free Pay As You Go (PAYG) SIM card without having to identify oneself and it is a doddle to buy over-the-counter minutes to use on it. One just needs to remember to use cash only. The use of the phone definitely would be picked up. If he was sensible he would only have used it to browse the internet when he was miles from home. Ownership of the phone would be unknown. This is a method commonly used by criminals and unless they do something stupid, such as use it at home or are found with it on their person, it is very difficult to prove it belongs to/is used by them. This is where his fingerprints would be very incriminating. He may have taken all these precautions but stupidly stored the phone at home but I suspect he will say the phone did not belong to him and was left by the intruder/s.

There are articles on the internet explaining exactly how to use a phone in this way.

Hi IB. I understand all you’ve said. Here in Oz criminals used to, and many obviously still do, exactly what you’ve described above. We call them ‘prepaid’ phones here where you simply put as much money on your SIM card as you wish, and as you say, the ownership of the phone is unknown. Serious Individual criminals usually have a lot of them. (These days though they use smart phones and encrypt everything).

If he went to the trouble of buying such a phone for the sole purpose of looking up axe murders, I find it very hard to believe that he wouldn’t have disposed of it immediately after finishing his ‘research’. Of course it’s possible but I think highly improbable.

As it is, he already has quite a lot of explaining to do.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Is there an approximate time limit for this trial, at this rate, it will take 3 months! The Defence haven't got a leg to stand on and it shows!

IIRC it's been set down for 8 weeks but I think it could well go longer. (Just by way of comparison, the OP trial last for 7 weeks up to and including judgment - 3 weeks for the State and 4 weeks for the Defence).

 

[Interested Bystander]

JJ, I agree it would be totally stupid to not dispose of it and I cannot believe it belongs to anyone else. I am hoping he is tied to it and has not thought through the importance of the phone which may even be an old one traceable to him. Do we know where in the house it was found?

The fact that Botha is spending so much time on the security of the estate suggests to me that the Defence is really desperate. Quite honestly this seems a more open and shut case that OP's. Trying to prove somebody dug a tunnel is madness. Just think of the mess on the intruder/s clothes.

 

[Interested Bystander]

I saw a tweet today that said the judge asked Botha if HvB was following the proceedings. Did anyone pick that up and, if so, what was the problem? It is a shame this case is not televised.

Tracey Stewart‏ @Traceyams 2h2 hours ago
More
J.Desai stops Advocate Botha and asks that he confirm with henri that he is still following - afrikaans proceedings @CapeTownEtc #vanbreda

 

[JudgeJudi]

I saw a tweet today that said the judge asked Botha if HvB was following the proceedings. Did anyone pick that up and, if so, what was the problem? It is a shame this case is not televised.

Tracey Stewart‏ @Traceyams 2h2 hours ago
More
J.Desai stops Advocate Botha and asks that he confirm with henri that he is still following - afrikaans proceedings @CapeTownEtc #vanbreda

IIRC the Judge asked that question during the plea explanation, but this tweet might be referring to something different.

 

[JudgeJudi]

When Henri and his legal team arrived at the court‚ his one public supporter - Ralph Montjies - waited to greet him with a handshake.

Montjies is a bus driver from the Strand and takes a train every day to pray for the 22-year-old triple murder accused.

On Monday he was there with a younger man‚ who also greeted Van Breda.

"Someone has to show some support for you‚'' said Montjies‚ who took a seat in the public gallery.

He's certainly not looking too happy today.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2017/05/08/Van-Breda-gains-another-supporter-in-court1

 

[Estelle]

Step-by-Step
HENRI VAN BREDA
By Jan van Zyl | Posted on 04 May 2017

http://www.mblh.co.za/NewsPublications/NewsArticle.aspx?CategoryID=5&articleId=2020#.WRB3ELyGNlB

 

[Mette]

Step-by-Step
HENRI VAN BREDA
By Jan van Zyl | Posted on 04 May 2017

http://www.mblh.co.za/NewsPublications/NewsArticle.aspx?CategoryID=5&articleId=2020#.WRB3ELyGNlB

An excellent infographic on the defence case so far. Good find.

I wonder what this law firm's horse in the race is, why they posted it.

 

[Mette]

It's understandable that the court is being led around and around about the estate's perimeter, access cards, a previous unsuccessful invasion attempt and so on.

It's clearly all the defence attorneys have, really, when the defendant was already legitimately in the house.

Neighbours Spier and Kleine Zalze and De Zalze itself aren't impossible to permeate, but one leaves a footprint.

 

[Mette]

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...spected-of-being-a-tik-addict-report-20150215

tik = methamphetamine

 

[JudgeJudi]

RSBM

Botha has prepared us for what's to come too, he called HvB a boy when the first officer on the scene was under cross, and supposedly this will excuse everything, HvB's statement, no evidence of intruders, the self inflicted injuries etc etc

Botha’s use of the word "boy" was quite a misnomer. HvB was 20 at the time of the murders.

Narita du Toit told YOU that 20-year-old Henri was a “lovely child” who would never attack his family.

Du Toit said one could tell when “a child has done something wrong” but with her nephew “there was nothing”.

http://www.you.co.za/news/was-the-van-breda-family-broken-from-within/

The voting age in SA is 20. He was certainly not a boy, and neither was he a child when the murders took place. I’m yet to know of a country where children area allowed to vote.

Here’s a screenshot of the “boy” “child” before the murders. (Sorry about including the video but I needed the link and couldn’t find the pic elsewhere)

I really wish Susan Galloway would address Botha’s use of the word “boy”. I would.

[video=youtube;UZ5XdaCrcaA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ5XdaCrcaA[/video]

 

[JudgeJudi]

Tammy Petersen @TammyPetersen87

Day 8 of the Henri #VanBreda trial. Martin Van Breda's twin brothers Andre and Bailey along with their wives are attending proceedings.

Second uncle turned back, but has been spotted. Andre du Toit, Teresa Van Breda's brother, has been attending the trial since last week.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/live-day-8-of-the-van-breda-murder-trial-20170509

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Anthony Molyneaux‏ @AJGMolyneaux 7m7 minutes ago

arrives on day 8 of the triple murder trial in CT high court. Court is set to begin at 10am. Follow me for updates @TimesLIVE

 

[PrimeSuspect]

RSBM


Botha’s use of the word "boy" was quite a misnomer. HvB was 20 at the time of the murders.

Narita du Toit told YOU that 20-year-old Henri was a “lovely child” who would never attack his family.

Du Toit said one could tell when “a child has done something wrong” but with her nephew “there was nothing”.

http://www.you.co.za/news/was-the-van-breda-family-broken-from-within/

The voting age in SA is 20. He was certainly not a boy, and neither was he a child when the murders took place. I’m yet to know of a country where children area allowed to vote.

Here’s a screenshot of the “boy” “child” before the murders. (Sorry about including the video but I needed the link and couldn’t find the pic elsewhere)

I really wish Susan Galloway would address Botha’s use of the word “boy”. I would.

I agree, I hope Galloway does address it. It's a blatant attempt to paint HvB as the victim, a child and incapable of such an horrendous crime. It's manipulation at its best, done by lawyers to suit the occasion. It's painful to listen when a real victim is 20 yrs or much younger and held fully responsible for whatever happened to them, rape/abuse/unprovoked attack. Topsy turvy, never makes sense to me.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Anthony Molyneaux‏ @AJGMolyneaux 8m8 minutes ago @TimesLIVE

Henri in court for day 8. We will be looking at security footage of De Zalze Estate. Security manager Marcia Rossouw is on stand. state advocate Galloway and Henri in court, waiting for Judge Desai



everyone stands as Judge Desai arrives in court. Defence adv Botha continues cross-examination of Rossouw. Botha begins with alarms from the night of the murders (the ones that Rossouw said we're dips in power and not breach)....Botha: alarms would still show up on operator's screen.Explains that voltage drops causes this but operator cant differentiate.
Botha continues. He's getting very technical on electric fence, energisers, power&alarms stating what his experts reported to him.
Botha states that he won't bother Rossouw again with alarms after she says she can't testify on technical questions.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Andre Van Breda is not in the courtroom as he is on the witness list.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/live-day-8-of-the-van-breda-murder-trial-20170509

 

[JudgeJudi]

Security manager Marcia Rossouw is to continue testifying.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...trial-20170509

 

[JudgeJudi]

Adv Pieter Botha said his experts says alarm system only indicates an activated alarm, and not also a power dip alert as Rossouw said.

If the alarm is activated at De Zalze, either a live wire is cut, someone has gotten over the fence, contact is made between earth and live wire or electricity is low or off.

The alarm in Parow means that the electricity going to the energiser falls to below a certain voltage and results in the activation. The system in Parow can't at that moment explain why there has been an activation.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...trial-20170509

 

[JudgeJudi]

Botha says if there had been a dip in the line feeding electricity to the energiser, more than one would have been activated, as the line serves more than one of the energisers.

The control room cannot confirm what caused an activation, but only confirm that an activation has indeed been recorded, Botha says.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...trial-20170509

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Anthony Molyneaux‏ @AJGMolyneaux 5m5 minutes ago @TimesLIVE

Botha continues now onto CCTV footage. I will update with what I see. Not able to video record in court.
before we get to CCTV footage, Botha asks Rossouw about visitors to klein de zalze estate.Records show there were only 2visitors..