Henri van Breda: Millionaire's son found guilty of murdering his parents and brother with axe in South Africa

Henri van Breda arrives to sit in the dock at the Western Cape High Court to hear the verdict
AFP/Getty Images
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The son of a millionaire South African property tycoon has been found guilty of hacking his parents and brother to death with an axe in a gruesome attack that shocked the nation.

Henri van Breda, 23, also attempted to murder his 16-year-old sister in the horrifying violence at their home in an upscale housing estate in 2015. She was left fighting for her life.

Van Breda's trial began more than two years after his parents and older brother were killed in Stellenbosch, a scenic wine-growing town in South Africa.

The family had immigrated to Australia but returned to South Africa several years ago.

Henri van Breda is led out of the High Court in Cape Town, South Africa, on Monday
AP

After handing himself over to police in September 2016, van Breda had pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was 20 years old at the time of the horrific attack.

His parents, Martin and Teresa van Breda, and his older brother, Rudi, died in their home in De Zalze Estate in Stellenbosch. His sister, Marli, aged 16 at the time of the incident, was severely injured.

Van Breda alleged during his trial that his family was attacked by an intruder wearing gloves, dark clothes and a balaclava in the early hours of the morning.

His defence claimed his family had spent a normal evening at home the night of the murders. Early in the morning, van Breda said he heard banging sounds in the house and opened a door to see someone attacking his brother with an axe.

Henri van Breda sits in the dock at the Western Cape High Court
AFP/Getty Images

After he shouted for help, his father entered and accosted the attacker, who was wearing a ski mask, according to van Breda's account.

He said there may have been at least two attackers, and that he suffered minor injuries while wrestling with one of them.

Van Breda called emergency responders more than two hours after the attack, saying he had lost consciousness.

In a phone call to emergency services that was played in court, van Breda told the operator: "My family and me were attacked by a guy with an axe."

Van Breda, who the judge said had tampered with the crime scene in order to mislead police, was found that morning by police sitting outside the house, his clothing stained with the blood of the victims. Investigators found a bloodstained axe and kitchen knife in the house.

The judge said that in the absence of any intruder, the only reasonable inference was that van Breda wanted to mislead police and that he staged the scene of the crime.

He said van Breda had "intentionally" inflicted injuries on himself and "in order to mislead the police as to the true identity of the perpetrator".

Additional reporting from agencies.

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