What's that on your lapel‚ Henri? Van Breda accessory decoded

04 May 2017 - 16:33 By Aron Hyman And Tanya Farber
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"Come fly with me" or "fly me to the moon" or perhaps "I like pleasure spiked with pain and music is my aeroplane …"

It is not easy to tell what is on the mind of poker-faced triple murder accused Henri van Breda‚ but the little silver aeroplane constantly pinned to the lapel of his suit in court tells a story of its own.

  • Van Breda trial: State witnesses incredulous on the standState witnesses could not hide their incredulity on Thursday when Henri van Breda’s defence counsel suggested that two men could have scaled the high fence at the De Zalze security estate. 

According to his defence counsel‚ the plane is "a little gift from his girlfriend and he wears it because it is beautiful and he likes it".

In September last year‚ Van Breda and the girlfriend in question‚ Danielle Janse Van Rensburg‚ were arrested for dagga possession Table View‚ Cape Town‚ and then appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court earlier in March.

  • Security at Van Breda complex scrutinised in murder trialImpeccably dressed as usual — and wearing the same silver aeroplane motif on his lapel — Henri van Breda on Thursday seemed more engaged than before in the legal process that could lead to him spending life behind bars. 

The charges were withdrawn‚ and Van Breda's lawyer‚ Piet Botha‚ said at the time that the Director of Public Prosecutions said it was because it was ''clear that the dagga was not his''. The charges against Janse van Rensburg were withdrawn on condition she sees a psychologist.

They have been dating since they met at a Cape Town chef school in February 2016. She has publicly professed her belief in her boyfriend's innocence.

- TMG Digital/TimesLIVE

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