BY Aron Hyman And Tanya Farber
A state witness has so far thrown cold water on the defence’s case of an intruder being behind the triple axe murders for which Henri van Breda is currently in the dock — but she is yet to be cross-examined.
Marcia Rossouw‚ “witness 80“‚ gave detailed technical information on the estate’s security features in the Cape High Court.
Rossouw is the security manager at the De Zalze estate in Stellenbosch‚ where the Van Bredas lived and died.
The court had adjourned last week on Thursday for the state to compile video footage taken by security cameras on the night of the murders in January 2015.
Rossouw said that the perimeter fence was upgraded shortly before the incident and the voltage on the electric fence was also increased.
She described to the court how she had first realised something had happened at De Zalze when police arrived at the gate at “high speed“.
“We stopped them to assess the situation and then we led them to the house‚” she said.
“I immediately gave instruction to my people to inspect every meter of the wire to make sure no one came in. We checked security footage and compiled certain reports with video footage‚” she said.
She testified that no one had breached the estate’s security perimeter.
On this‚ the seventh day of the trial‚ public interest has still not grown: the public gallery was occupied by only 14 people.
But‚ amongst those 14‚ sat two young men who joined the small club of Henri’s fans and wished him well as he entered the court. They sat glued to every word as Susan Galloway‚ representing the state‚ questioned Rossouw.
Rossouw‚ with no hesitation at all‚ went through the intricate details of how the system is set up to err on the side of caution.
She took the court through the workings of a complex system involving intercoms‚ cameras lenses that form a view of 360 degrees‚ rigid communication systems‚ and the role of the bloodhounds (check points that electronically ensure that each guard on duty has checked the parts of the fence as stipulated by the system).
Van Breda sat expressionless in the dock — only taking occasional notes and glancing around the courtroom from time to time.
Security manager takes the stand in Van Breda trial
A state witness has so far thrown cold water on the defence’s case of an intruder being behind the triple axe murders for which Henri van Breda is currently in the dock — but she is yet to be cross-examined.
Marcia Rossouw‚ “witness 80“‚ gave detailed technical information on the estate’s security features in the Cape High Court.
Rossouw is the security manager at the De Zalze estate in Stellenbosch‚ where the Van Bredas lived and died.
The court had adjourned last week on Thursday for the state to compile video footage taken by security cameras on the night of the murders in January 2015.
Rossouw said that the perimeter fence was upgraded shortly before the incident and the voltage on the electric fence was also increased.
She described to the court how she had first realised something had happened at De Zalze when police arrived at the gate at “high speed“.
“We stopped them to assess the situation and then we led them to the house‚” she said.
“I immediately gave instruction to my people to inspect every meter of the wire to make sure no one came in. We checked security footage and compiled certain reports with video footage‚” she said.
She testified that no one had breached the estate’s security perimeter.
On this‚ the seventh day of the trial‚ public interest has still not grown: the public gallery was occupied by only 14 people.
But‚ amongst those 14‚ sat two young men who joined the small club of Henri’s fans and wished him well as he entered the court. They sat glued to every word as Susan Galloway‚ representing the state‚ questioned Rossouw.
Rossouw‚ with no hesitation at all‚ went through the intricate details of how the system is set up to err on the side of caution.
She took the court through the workings of a complex system involving intercoms‚ cameras lenses that form a view of 360 degrees‚ rigid communication systems‚ and the role of the bloodhounds (check points that electronically ensure that each guard on duty has checked the parts of the fence as stipulated by the system).
Van Breda sat expressionless in the dock — only taking occasional notes and glancing around the courtroom from time to time.
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