Stiletto-wearing cop stabs back at Van Breda lawyer

She wears pearls and black high heels that could impale an ant right in the middle. 

But when Lieutenant-Colonel Sharlene Otto raises her slender fingers and tells the defence‚ “finished and klaar!”‚ she is every bit the no-nonsense policewoman.

It was day 29 of the Henri van Breda triple axe murder trial in the high court in Cape Town on Tuesday‚ and the accused’s defence counsel‚ Matthys Combrink‚ put the credibility of the police laboratory — which came up with potentially damning DNA evidence — under the spotlight.

On Monday‚ it was revealed that DNA from Van Breda’s mother Teresa and brother Rudi were found on scrapings of his fingernails and bloodstains on his shorts. It was also revealed that “no unknown DNA was found on the crime scene”.

Combrink said the police lab was not accredited‚ but Otto said she had been there 24 years and it was still waiting to be audited. However‚ lab staff follow international-standard operating procedures.

On Monday‚ she said the defence had been given 3‚000 pages of data which explained every detail of how the 216 samples from the Van Breda murders had been collected and analysed. It also contained a copy of their standard operating procedures.

After Combrink continued a line of questioning about accreditation‚ state prosecutor Susan Galloway objected to Judge Siraj Desai: “With respect‚ my lord‚ accreditation is not a legal requirement and Otto has already explained why they have not been accredited and Combrink should put those questions to a higher body.”

Combrink also said the laboratory sometimes made a “crucial decision” from the outset about what to test and what not‚ and this could prejudice the accused.

Otto replied: “Do not misunderstand me. Everything in this case was submitted. It is just not all done at the same time. I did four affidavits and nothing was amiss. Yes‚ it is crucial‚ but this is why we have standard operating procedures designed along international guidelines. In cases where not every single sample is tested‚ the selection is done in a very specific manner.”

Combrink then homed in “swab 63”‚ a sample taken from the laundry door near the kitchen of the Van Breda family home at De Zalze in Stellenbosch.

She confirmed that in the case of swab 63‚ no DNA was found – either because it wasn’t blood‚ or‚ “more possibly‚ because it was in fact animal blood from the preparation of meat in the nearby kitchen”.

Combrink said he wanted to see a full report on swab 63‚ but Otto replied: “Once it has been confirmed it contains no DNA‚ it is not analysed and therefore no further paperwork exists. Finished and klaar.”

The case will continue on Thursday.