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

[PrimeSuspect]

Anthony Molyneaux‏ @AJGMolyneaux 34s34 seconds ago @TimesLIVE

jahn needed to explain about the card to enter de zalze estate & the fingerprints.

now we are going through Marli&Jahn's WhatsApp messages. There is a message he was questioned about by police.
Jahn says he was asked about message because police were broadening their investigation.
Jahn now states the family had a 'hard argument' at dinner. Marli was upset at her father because of this. This is to establish...the context of the WhatsApp message on 10th Jan 2015. (We waiting to find out what message is...)

Jahn now describes message: he would describe it as a mistake. It didn't mean anything, meant for comfort. I wasn't thinking. Jahn had to give police his whereabouts on the night of the murders.

 

[JudgeJudi]

He was asked to explain content for one of the messages because they were trying to broaden scope of investigation.

According to the message - The family had had a hard argument and (sic) at the dinner table. Marli told me. She was very upset by her father, mom was very upset too.

She was present while they were having a fight. The aftermath of a family argument. Sent on 10 January.

He saw them the next day. We all went surfing and they came back to our house. We had a full family braai. Rudi and his girlfriend were there.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Poor Jahn got caught up in this. He probably said something mean about Martin to comfort Marli.

 

[JudgeJudi]

[Talking about the message to Marli]

I would describe it as a mistake, it was not the right things to say to comfort her. It wasn't directed to mean anything. I wasn't thinking.

Adv Combrink says it was a heated incident, discussing that she was overweight and she was sensitive about it. They all agreed Martin had been a bit rough on her.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Anthony Molyneaux‏ @AJGMolyneaux 7m7 minutes ago @TimesLIVE

NOTE: we do not know what the whatsapp message said! Yet.
Defence Advance Combrink now takes over with his x-examination. He goes straight to the 'hard argument' mentioned by Jahn.
Jahn says he is not aware of the content of the argument at dinner on 10Jan2015. @TimesLIVE brief break in court.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Reade-Jahn says from his knowledge it seemed that that could have been the only possibility, I was concerned why Teresa may have been so upset, something else may have cropped up, but I am not aware of the incident.

Details of the message not being divulged. Adv Galloway says it was communication between two people.

Combrink says it was related to the parents feeling their relationship was too serious. Yes, Reade-Jahn says, I would say they wanted us to turn it down as we were to write exams which would determine acceptance into university.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[JudgeJudi]

Back to the axe. Reade-Jahn says the axe he remembers was black. Exhibit is green.

The message is read out to the court:

"I know i told you i would tell you everything - right now I feel i want to murder the people around you. But i am being strong to help you"

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[JudgeJudi]

Nicholas Steyn next in the witness box. Police captain with 28 years service.

12 Goske is almost in the middle of the estate. He arrived at scene when forensics were already there.

Scene was not deurmekaar. Usually a house robbery would see items thrown out of cupboards, etc.

His experience says cellphones, laptops and small valuables would be taken. These were all still in the house. Strange they would come into house and not take anything.

Investigated to see forced entry. Couldn't find anything at that time.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[Interested Bystander]

Much as I expected. Dad was a very controlling figure but it was well hidden in company. I had a father exactly the same. He was charming in front of his many brothers and sisters but, in my family's case, quite hurtful, dictatorial and unkind in private.

 

[JudgeJudi]

No sign according to me that anyone came in or left.

The person would have had to have blood on his hands. If he jumped over wall there would be blood, but none. Also no shoe print.

He saw Henri at the scene. Detective head was there, and we all got a task to do. I had to find out Henri's version. I spoke to him in the ambulance.

He told me that in the early hours he went to the toilet, heard sounds (kap geluide) , looked through door and saw someone attacking his brother.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[JudgeJudi]

Didn't question him, wanted his version.

He said he had shouted, his dad came into the room, and the suspect attacked his dad. Thereafter his mother and sister respectively came in and the suspect attacked them too. He said he confronted the suspect.

Court breaks for tea.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[JudgeJudi]

We are back. He said he took the axe from him, and the man stabbed him in the side with a knife. He chased the suspect from the room and down the stairs and threw the axe at him.

He said he missed the suspect and hit the wall. The suspect then ran out the back door. He returned to the stairs and when he saw his mother and sister lying there, he fainted.

He then googled police emergency number. The didn't have the number on him. He said he couldn't remember how long he was unconscious, but when he regained consciousness he Googled it

The photo exhibit is how he saw Henri in the ambulance. Henri was quiet and calm, the captain says, and told me what happened.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[Interested Bystander]

Poor Jahn. He must have quaked when he found his comments had in fact been carried out by somebody else. Thankfully he must have had a watertight alibi.

 

[JudgeJudi]

People differ, but in some cases women cry, men are angry.

On 6 May 2015 he took swabs of two domestic workers who worked for the Van Bredas.

He also handled Martin van Breda's wallet

He wanted to hand the wallet over the family. Gave it to Lorinda van Niekerk. It was in his desk drawer.

He and photographer later returned to the scene. The knife is exhibit 2, which we saw yesterday.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[JudgeJudi]

The knife is exhibit 2, which we saw yesterday. It was part of a set of knives.

There were no robberies or murders at De Zalze before this.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[JudgeJudi]

The knife is exhibit 2, which we saw yesterday. It was part of a set of knives.

There were no robberies or murders at De Zalze before this.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[JudgeJudi]

Adv Botha cross examining.

In 2010, the captain says, there was another murder where a woman was killed in her home.

Adv Botha asking about a balaclava gang operating in that vicinity.

Steyn says November 2014 the last member of the balaclava gang was arrested.

60 incidents, six were arrested. Could only be tied to 10 of the scenes. Didn't have enough evidence to link them to the others.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[JudgeJudi]

The gang took cellphones, tvs, laptops, etc. Small items of value that could be carried away easily.

He was told of the suspect of a balaclava and gloves and he investigated. The Captain covered this type of crime as part of a task team.

He found beer at some of the balaclava gang crime scenes.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[JudgeJudi]

Although there were no signs of an intruder escaping, there is a possibility, Botha asks. Steyn agrees.

[and pigs may fly]

Botha says a blood spatter expert had been on scene and said he cant exclude that the blood spatter landed on side wall due to object being carried past the area.

There was no blood on Henri's socks, Botha says. Steyn agrees.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511

 

[JudgeJudi]

Steyn says its the first time he was at such a scene.

Some people become hysterical, some cry ,others don't, some are quiet, Adv Botha says to Steyn. He agrees.

[Steyn has 28 years' experience and has never seen such a scene. "Some are quiet". HvB took this incredibly bloody massacre in his stride and showed no emotion whatsoever. Right. Sorry for the editorial comment. Beam me up Scotty.]

Botha says Henri had so many injuries it couldn't fit on the J88. Among them were knobs on his face, various cuts and a bruise under his knee.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-10-20170511