Henri van Breda helped court staff to set up speakers on Wednesday so his triple-murder trial could hear the emergency call he made.
Van Breda called ambulance dispatcher Janine Philander around 7.30am on January 27‚ 2015‚ several hours after his parents‚ Martin and Teresa‚ and his elder brother Rudi were killed. He is also accused of attempting to murder his sister‚ Marli.
- 'I thought it was a prank call': Ambulance dispatcher tells Van Breda trial of Henri's 'giggle'Henri van Breda's behaviour when he called the emergency services was so atypical of a witness to murder that the responder on the other end of the line was convinced it was a prank call.
Tuesday’s court proceedings were adjourned when there were problems with the sound system in court. But on Wednesday Van Breda helped to ensure that the 20-minute call could be heard clearly by Judge Siraj Desai‚ who is presiding over his trial in the High Court in Cape Town.
Philander told Desai on Tuesday that Van Breda's behaviour when he spoke to her was so atypical of a witness to murder that she was convinced it was a prank call.
- Massive argument broke silence of De Zalze on night of van Breda murders‚ neighbour tells courtA massive‚ noisy shouting match took place in the van Breda family home in Stellenbosch in the hours leading up to the killing spree there.
“He was a bit hesitant and made a sound like a giggle and I thought it was a prank‚” she said.
“The normal reaction for a home invasion and assault of this nature is that people are frantic‚ shouting‚ screaming‚ in tears ... He wasn't anxious or agitated or any other such thing. He was just cool and calm.”
- TMG Digital/TimesLIVE
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