Van Breda investigating officer gets only 45 minutes of fame

He was meant to be the star of the show‚ the main attraction who would finally take the public to the coalface of the Van Breda triple axe-murder trial.

But investigating officer Sergeant Marlon Appollis spent only 45 minutes being questioned and cross-examined on Wednesday.

After answering a few questions from state prosecutor Susan Galloway‚ it was expected that Henri van Breda's defence counsel‚ Piet Botha and Matthys Combrink‚ would subject Appollis to the same detailed interrogation seen in the court thus far. Instead‚ a superficial cross-examination took place.

Appollis revealed that Marli van Breda has still not recovered her memory of the gruesome night on which her parents and brother were hacked to death with an axe at their luxury home in Stellenbosch in 2015.

Marli was left for dead‚ but was saved four hours later when emergency services arrived. She was in a coma and underwent surgery during a hospital stay that lasted several weeks.

Appollis told judge Siraj Desai: “My main job on the day of the murders was to make sure Marli was taken to hospital and cared for. To my knowledge‚ she could not give a statement as she was in a coma. She still has no recollection of the murders.”

Under cross-examination‚ Botha said Van Breda's statement claimed Colonel Deon Beneke told the accused that he had taken a statement from Marli who had “told us everything”.

Appollis said that as far as he was concerned‚ Marli had never said anything as she was in a coma.

WATCH: Investigating officer tells how he cared for Marli

Botha then reintroduced the defence’s assertion that there may have been a second axe at the house on the night of the murders.

Desai‚ however‚ confirmed with Appollis that there has only ever been one axe associated with the crime.

Botha also said other crimes had taken place at the estate‚ including thefts of a cheque book and a compressor‚ but no culprits were ever convicted.

The case was adjourned until Monday when the last state witness‚ blood spatter expert Captain Marius Joubert‚ will testify.