A FORMER schoolboy in Perth was found guilty of killing three of his closest relatives, denied the opportunity to appeal against his conviction and life imprisonment.
The Supreme Court of Western Cape in South Africa rejected the application of Henri van Breda, 23, to challenge his three life sentences in 2015 for killing his mother, father and brother in the luxury home of his family in Stellenbosch, a wine region outside Cape Town, according to reports in the media of South Africa.
Van Breda was found guilty of the murders in May. He was also found guilty of attempting to assassinate his sister, who survived the attack, and was sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison and a year for attempts to block the right.
The creepy attack, which has gripped this country with a high number of violent crimes, has also attracted international attention. The Breda family had once moved to Australia but returned a few years ago.
Van Breda, who was 20 years old at the time of the attack, did not plead guilty to all charges after he had transferred himself to the police in September 2016.
He claimed during his trial that his family was being attacked by an intruder wearing gloves, dark clothes and a balaclava in the early morning hours. Van Breda called emergency responders more than two hours after the attack and said he had lost consciousness.
In a telephone call with emergency services played in court, he told the operator: "My family and I have been attacked by a man with an ax."
His lawyers debated during the application procedure last week that there was insufficient evidence to connect their young client with the murders.
But judge Siraj Desai, who condemned Van Breda in May, said Monday that the defense had not provided enough arguments to appeal, according to News24. He said that the facts still supported that Van Breda had carried out the crimes.
Source link