The young Stellenbosch man accused of the murder of his mother, father and brother at their De Zalze Golf Estate home in Stellenbosch in January last year, was released on R100 000 bail on Tuesday.
At the same time, the case was immediately transferred to the Western Cape High Court for trial on September 9.
In the dock of the Stellenbosch district court, before magistrate Lungelo Jumba, was Henri Christo van Breda, 21, facing three charges of murder, one of attempted murder and one of defeating the ends of justice.
The murder charges relate to the deaths of his parents, Martin and Theresa van Breda, as well as his brother Rudi.
The attempted murder charge relates to his sister Marli, who survived the axe attack on the family.
The state was represented by senior state advocates, Susan Galloway and Megan Blows.
Galloway told the court that the investigation was complete and she handed in the high court indictment which included a summary of the essential facts.
She requested that the case be forthwith transferred to the high court for van Breda’s appearance in September.
Although the state had no objection to van Breda’s release on bail, the defence advocate Piet Botha nevertheless launched a formal application to satisfy the court that there were exceptional circumstances that justified van Breda’s release on bail.
He said the state had informed him yesterday that van Breda was to be arrested that afternoon on the five charges.
Botha said he had advised his client to surrender himself to the police without delay, which he had done.
The defence and the state had in the meanwhile agreed that there were exceptional circumstances justifying van Breda’s release on bail.
He said the defence had been in regular contact with the investigating and prosecuting authorities for the last sixteen months.
Botha said van Breda had been formally arrested and charged after surrendering to the police.
He said van Breda had kept all his appointments with the investigating officer, and that he had had freedom of movement during the past sixteen months, adding that the his client could have absconded if he had wanted to, but he had not.
He said van Breda’s release on bail would not disturb the public order nor bring the criminal justice system into disrepute.
“Given the media coverage that this case has had it will be difficult, if not impossible, for my client to evade justice,” Botha told the court.
He said van Breda’s face was also familiar on social media, adding the particulars of the young man’s residence was deliberately vague on the charge sheet, but the investigating officer was well aware of his current address.
One of the conditions of bail was that van Breda had to attend the high court proceedings in September, and all subsequent proceedings.
He may not make contact with any of the state witnesses which included his sister, and has to inform the investigating officer of any change of address.
Van Breda was also forbidden to leave the Western Cape.
-African News Agency (ANA)
