South Africa - Martin, 55, Theresa, 54, Rudi van Breda, 22, murdered, 26 Jan 2015 #3

[Tortoise]

Brown: picks up the axe, if I understand it correctly re version put to me is whether the axe could have been thrown.
First of all this is not a throwing axe
The axe has 4 areas which it can land the butt edge the sharp edge etc - 1/4 chance of it landing on the sharp edge
Brown: the brick behind the plaster area was exposed, the impact was deep
Brown:the area which would strike would have to move beyond the 10-15mm plaster area (SAN building standards)


https://twitter.com/Traceyams

 

[JudgeJudi]

She noticed there was certainty of direction, the wall was painted, it had plaster, and the brick at the back of the plaster was exposed.

Characterised as sharp edged tool impact and damage. Adv Galloway refers to Henri's plea explanation - "I saw the attacker near the middle landing... threw the axe at him. Didn't know where or what it struck."

Brown holds up the axe. If i understand correctly is whether the axe could have been thrown to make this impact mark. This is not a throwing axe - it is actually a sport. Axe can land on four areas - butt, head, edge and handle.

If one were to throw you would have a one quarter chance of it landing on the sharp edge or on any of the areas.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/live-van-breda-axe-murder-trial-day-25-20170612

It sounds like Brown is a tool mark expert.

 

[Tortoise]

Brown: it is not a throwing axe
Brown: axe has 4 possible areas where it can land,1/4 chance of landing in sharp edge or others
Brown: any object flying through the air decelerates on velocity and speed


https://twitter.com/ajnarsee

 

[Tortoise]

Brown: whichever area the axe lands on needs to do that type of damage while being thrown, taking into account any object thrown
Brown: flying through the air would decelerate and lose speed. Newtons laws of motion one would definitely expect with a object
that has weight flying through the air landing on sharp edge side to make impact as such, to have force applied on it
In conclusion its possible that the version of accused is true but but I would say,considering all variants,it is highly unlikely


https://twitter.com/Traceyams

 

[Tortoise]

Brown: based on newtons laws of motions,landing in the sharp edge side, it's possible depends on variables
Brown: chances of axe landing in sharp edge after being thrown is possible but "highly unlikely"

https://twitter.com/ajnarsee

 

[JudgeJudi]

The brick behind the plastered area was exposed inside the impact mark. The impact was deep and therefore the brick was exposed. So basically the area it would strike, the impact mark would have to move beyond the 10 to 15mm plaster area in terms of SANBS and would expose this brick.

What I am saying... any object flying through the air decelerates in velocity and speed. When take into account laws of motion, one would definitely expect with a object that has weight, flying through the air, landing on sharp edge side to have force applied on it.

Likelihood? Brown says it would be highly unlikely. Possible, but highly unlikely.

Now looking at powder particles she photographed on the staircase rail at the bottom of the impact and damage mark

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/live-van-breda-axe-murder-trial-day-25-20170612

 

[Tortoise]

G: U found piece of cement on the stair case, regarding impact mark D did you find any similar pieces of cement on the scene?
Brown I didnt find any particles or pieces of cement that fit into the brick on the top of the stair case
Brown: I am not a building expert when looking at this impact damage and observing the area lower down of the impact mark
Brown: and by characterizing the impact and damage, as well as referring back to Newton's laws.
Brown: This is what happens when a greater impact force effect would cause an object to spatter in the particles
Brown: where the blow is of such nature it is of a greater force/impact where particles spatter in minute objects
Brown: Possible uncontrolled impact mark with left side wall of entrance into the first bedroom

https://twitter.com/Traceyams

 

[JudgeJudi]

Particles was the only particles that could be found on the landing.

No similar pieces to fit into that impact mark.

Brown says she is not a building expert. When looking at impact damage and observing the area lower down of the mark and by characterising the impact and damage, as well as referring back to Newton's laws, this is what happens when a greater impact force effect would cause an object to spatter in the particles as demonstrated.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/live-van-breda-axe-murder-trial-day-25-20170612

 

[Tortoise]

Brown referring to an impact mark she found to be uncontrolled on the wall of the first bedroom entrance (Henris room)
Brown shows pictures of this damage as well as the top part of the top edge of the axe close to the impact mark
Brown: Fig 29 same area with the axe butt held closer to the impact mark


https://twitter.com/Traceyams

 

[JudgeJudi]

Captain Brown

Blow is of such a nature that it is of a greater force or impact where the particles spatter into minute objects

Third impact mark on left hand side wall in entrance of first bedroom. Caused by possible uncontrolled impact mark.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/live-van-breda-axe-murder-trial-day-25-20170612

 

[Tortoise]

Fig 30: same impact and damage area (on Henri's bedroom entrance wall) with a close up of the butt area of the axe near impact
Brown: 31 same impact and damage area marked "h" with the blunt rear part/butt of the axe into the impact mark
Brown: I concluded this was an uncontrolled impact mark. I looked at it in its entirety, I looked at where the mark was
Brown: It was on the edge of 2 adjacent walls, I looked at the mark itself on the edge of these two adjacent walls
Brown: I found that there was no certainty of direction. I would categorize it as a "free" mark with no restraints
Brown: I found that there was no force that was applied and that no proper force of the mark could be followed
Brown:I could not see any striation marks, this is a mark which would be categorized by a sliding motion of a tool against surface
Brown: I also did not see any indented marks

https://twitter.com/Traceyams

 

[Tortoise]

Longest lead in by Galloway ever.

 

[Tortoise]

Brown: hence the reason I referred to it as a possible uncontrolled impact mark
Brown: I matched the sharp and blunt edge of the axe to the mark
Brown: Firstly, I could not confirm that this mark was caused by the Axe
Brown: I could not say whether it was definitely caused by the axe or definitely not caused by the axe
Brown: hence my use of the word possibly

https://twitter.com/Traceyams

 

[Interested Bystander]

Even if the axe was thrown I would imagine it was an afterthought when attempting to create his alibi.

 

[Tortoise]

Brown: by controlled an uncontrolled impact damage I said I looked at the impact in its entirety, where on the walls it was
Brown: I considered the length, width, depth of these marks
Brown: I looked at whether there was certainty of direction, I looked at the restraints or lack thereof that was present
Brown: I looked at the marks and whether the course of these marks could be followed
Brown: I looked at the marks to see whether it had a beginning and an end
Brown: I looked at whether there might have been forced applied or none and I looked at striated marks and indented marks

https://twitter.com/Traceyams

 

[Tortoise]

Damage to staircase wall corresponding with Henri #VanBreda's claim of throwing axe at fleeing intruder possible,but not likely, Brown says.

https://twitter.com/TammyPetersen87

 

[Tortoise]

Force will influence striated and indented marks
Brown: It was important for me to understand how this axe is manufactured as well as the question put to me ito damages I saw
Brown: On the blade area top part of the blade there is damage on the "nose" points to the top corner edge of sharp blade of axe

https://twitter.com/Traceyams

 

[JudgeJudi]

Uncontrolled impact mark: She says she looked at it in its entirety. No certainty of direction. Characterised it as free mark with no restraint. Also saw there was no force that was applied and no proper course of the marks could be followed.

Possible uncontrolled impact mark. Cause of damage? She says she couldn't say if it was definitely the axe.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/live-van-breda-axe-murder-trial-day-25-20170612

 

[Tortoise]

I made a note of it as being a "nick" in the metal of the blade.The metal is folded to the left side if I hold in my right hand
Brown: this damage is almost like a mushroom effect
Lower side of the blade, on the left side of the axe, if holding the back of the axe facing my body

There is a void area- Advocate B says this area is visible on the photographs needn't look at the axe himself

Brown: After I cleaned the axe I could not see any remains of the void area
Brown: This void area was grey

https://twitter.com/Traceyams

 

[Tortoise]

Brown: on right side on the head of the axe I noticed some scrapings located under neath the eye, more toward the blunt side
I noticed some chip marks to the rear pole area (or the blunt area) of the axe

Adv G: finished with Brown

https://twitter.com/Traceyams