This came after evidence was presented at the Western Cape High Court by Dr Michelle van Zyl, who noted in a medical report that Van Breda, then 20, smelt of alcohol, was confident, jovial and appeared relaxed around staff.
Van Zyl, who worked at Vergelegen Mediclinic where police took Van Breda for a medical examination, testified that she had seen him twice on 27 January 2015 – the day of the murders.
REPORT: Doctor Michelle van Zyl
Van Breda had first arrived at the hospital for a private consultation with James Reade-Jahn, Marli van Breda’s then boyfriend, at about 8.30pm.
He then arrived again with police about an hour later, this time as a murder suspect.
In her report, Van Zyl noted that Van Breda had a 1.5cm laceration on his upper abdomen, which was not bleeding.
He also had scratches on his left forearm; superficial scratch marks on his chest, a puncture wound to his left clavicle; and both his eyes were bruised.
“He was fully orientated and we had a good conversation. His wounds were not deep enough for stitches, and I cleaned it and used ‘clips’ to join the skin. After he was released I went on with my work and then police came and asked me to examine him,” Van Zyl said.
She said he was not as friendly during the second visit.
Van Breda’s mother, Teresa, 55, father Martin, 54, and brother Rudi, 22, were hacked to death with an axe in their multi-million rand De Zalze Estate house, while his sister, Marli, 16 at the time, survived a physical assault, and lost her memory of the events (retrograde amnesia).
Van Breda, now 22, has been charged with three murders, attempted murder, and defeating the ends of justice, to which he has pleaded not guilty.