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

[JudgeJudi]

Please disregard the news24 link above. I had it ready for when the trial resumed.

 

[L2L]

This is truly disrespectful to the court. Galloway should have contacted the court to advise that she was running late. I've never seen this happen.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/live-van-breda-triple-axe-murder-trial-day-11-20170515

Do you think, JJ, that the Defence might have deliberately set up a road block? Sabotage? (Just being silly to fill in time!)

 

[Interested Bystander]

Tracey Stewart says there is a forensic police specialist in the witness box but hasn't mentioned his name.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Susan Galloway arrives and calls Henry James Stewart. He works for police services Forensic Laboratory. His field is identification of hair. He has been a forensic analyst since 15 November 1994.

He has given evidence in court regularly, specifically with hair analysis (started in 2006).

He received sealed hair samples of the Van Breda crime scene.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/live-van-breda-triple-axe-murder-trial-day-11-20170515

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Anthony Molyneaux‏ @AJGMolyneaux 2m2 minutes ago

Good morning everybody! Trial has already begun. Forensic specialist is on stand. Galloway begins questioning.

police services forensic dept. Henry James Stewart begins to explain the specimens he received from Goske street home.
Stewart explains that there was no sign of tampering with specimens he received.
Stewart looks through report. He speaks about how they check the specimens and test them.
defense advocate Botha speaks with Henri and they ask Judge to please ask witness to speak English as testimony is too technical.

@TimesLIVE

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Do you think, JJ, that the Defence might have deliberately set up a road block? Sabotage? (Just being silly to fill in time!)

Hmm, like when one of the police dockets (re: HvB) and a laptop was stolen from back of Galloways car? :suss:

 

[JudgeJudi]

Says samples haven't been tampered with when he received them

Samples are not referred to by name, only by number, in report.

He explains the analysis process of hair samples

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-11-20170515

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Oh my, twitter is broken. Edit: it's back

 

[JudgeJudi]

Adv Botha speaks with Henri and they ask Judge to please ask witness to speak English as testimony is too technical.

(Witness has been speaking Afrikaans thus far)

[Why hasn't Galloway arranged to have an interpreter on standby. She must know that HvB prefers English over Afrikaans]



http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-11-20170515

 

[JudgeJudi]

Tracey Stewart‏ @Traceyams · 5m5 minutes ago
Adv Botha - refers to admission- we admitted on 8 april that Lambrecht collected hair sample from Marli and handed

It to constable and booked it in. Nowhere does reference sample in this paragraph appear so its not an admission

Bag seal number is what Susan is referring to and 3.1 says "received in evidence bag seal number"

Galloway- given that it will become clear in cross examination I will leave it for now and redirect in re-exam

Colonel Stewart refers to para 3.4 and 3.5-3.9 the hair shows no resemblance

Given that evidence that people involved whether deceased or victim they are all family - how do you exclude someone

Familia hair is not necessarily the same, if it was the same it would show up in the evidence not necessarily similar

 

[JudgeJudi]

Tracey Stewart‏ @Traceyams · 3m

normally expect hair on head or attached to body how would it happen that it may be found elsewhere

Any way someone can pick up hair from an item? Say you pass a couch?

when two objects get in contact with each other then the hair will transfer so there must be contact between 2 items

refers Stewart to photos it appears that items intertwined in the fingers of this person? Lockhart principle

 

[JudgeJudi]

He says familial hair not necessarily the same.

There are not similarities between parents and children? Stuart: No

How will hair be found anywhere else other than on body? Stuart: People have tendency to lose hair; found on clothes and crime scene itself. Shedding hair. Always possibility that hair will be on your own clothes as well as on other person.

Can you pick up hair from surroundings?

Stuart: When 2 objects get in contact with each other, there will always be a flow of material form one to the other. Needs to be contact between 2 for it to be transferred.

Complete hair from root to tip?

Stuart: not necessarily.

You may have had your hair cut. But falling naturally will most probably contain a root.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/live-van-breda-triple-axe-murder-trial-day-11-20170515

 

[JudgeJudi]

Galloway: any hair that appeared totally foreign, in that it didn't fit the profile of the reference hair?

Stuart: I couldn't find anything other than what was presented to me. If there was a foreign hair, would need sample to include or exclude.

Can you differentiate form hair of different hairs?

Stuart: Yes, but in this case it wasn't done.

We need specific instruction to be able to do that.

There is a special method used to classify form different race. He wasn't asked to verify the race. If there were signs of hair of such characteristics, it would show in results presented.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-11-20170515

 

[JudgeJudi]

Signs of this is resemblance is more curly or kinked if from African origin.

If Asian, it would appear a lot thicker and straight and appear black.

To do thorough determination would have to make a crosscut. Differentiate between 4 races in SA.

All hair collected was straight hair.

All was red, blonde and black in colour.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-11-20170515

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Anthony Molyneaux‏ @AJGMolyneaux 4m4 minutes ago @TimesLIVE

Photos of a deceased's hand shows hair inside clenched fist. Colonel states hair found in that manner has been forceable removed.
Galloway leads witness to explain how he would test if it was from a different race.Stewart says it would appear more curly.
Colonel states all the hair he tested was straight, red blonde, red, blonde or black.



Henri is wearing a blue suit, white shirt, a blue&yellow arty tie & has had a fresh haircut over the weekend.

Botha now takes over for his cross examination of Colonel Stewart.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Anthony Molyneaux‏ @AJGMolyneaux 3m3 minutes ago @TimesLIVE

Botha: straight to photograph of clenched hand. Did you know if the person in the photograph is dead or alive? Colonel states no. Botha says the clenched hand is Marli's - who is not dead.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Botha: are you aware of the person showed in person there was alive or dead?

He said he didn't know.

B: The person in the photo with hair in hands.

It didn't make a difference to me.

Botha: if that same hand (of Marli) was open, would it change your opinion?

Stuart: if entangled in fingers, I wouldn't differ from what I said.

Botha - if hanging from one finger?

Stuart - not necessarily.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-11-20170515

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Anthony Molyneaux‏ @AJGMolyneaux 3m3 minutes ago @TimesLIVE

Colonel Stewart reiterates that the hair found in Marli's hand looks like it was torn out of another person's hair.
Botha states that the hair in Marli's hand could have been picked up from carpet if person was clenching carpet.
Colonel says that it is possible yes. 'Forceably removed from someone's head is not the only way, but it looked that way to me'.

(so it's HvB strand of hair?)

 

[Interested Bystander]

All we need now is to hear that it was HvB's and not her own (ie clutching at her own head after having been hit).

 

[JudgeJudi]

Botha - If person was moving about and person could have picked it up, could hair have become entangled?

Stuart - if there was contact between the person and the object hair is from, it is possible.

Botha - for hair to be transferred, must there be contact between two objects? What if someone walks on the landing and by gravity the hair landed there?

Stuart - there are instances where this can happen.

Botha - wind too? Stuart - yes.

[This sounds so desperate]

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...ay-11-20170515