A South African man convicted of killing his wealthy parents and brother in a frenzied axe attack has been handed at least three life sentences.
Henri Van Breda was also jailed for 15 years over the attempted murder of his sister at their South African mansion in 2015.
"Each murderous attack on a family member is a severe crime and warrants the severest punishment," Judge Siraj Desai told the packed Western Cape High Court in Cape Town on Thursday.
The former Perth schoolboy, now 23, remained emotionless as his sentence was handed down.
Defence advocate Pieter Botha had called for a "merciful" sentencing, arguing that van Breda was a first-time offender who was "barely 20" when he killed his family.
Botha immediately informed Judge Desai of his intention to apply for leave to appeal against both convictions and sentences. The application will be heard on June 27.
Denies murdering parents and brother
Van Breda had denied murdering his brother Rudi, 21, and parents Martin, 54, and Teresa, 55.
All three were found dead at the family’s mansion in South Africa’s Stellenbosch on January 27, 2015.
He also denied leaving his sister Marli with near-fatal head, neck and throat injuries.
On May 21, he was found guilty of killing his mother, father and brother, and attempting to kill his sister. He was also found guilty of defeating the ends of justice.
Judge Desai said the verdict was "inescapable", but noted that van Breda had not told the court what had led him to commit the murders.
"You had a supportive family and more importantly they had means to assist you in your future endeavours and it seems to me they would have done so," the judge said.
Judge Desai acknowledged van Breda's age - he was 20 when he committed the crimes - and also noted he had no prior offences to his name.
"There is no indication of a predisposition to commit acts of violence. That must count in your favour."
'Family defended themselves with hands'
The judge stressed that the victims were unarmed during the axe attack.
"They faced an axe-wielding son or brother, probably not expecting the worst," he said.
He said van Breda's father Martin was most likely "heroic", using his own body to defend son Rudi from the attack.
"The victims sustained deathly injuries and defended themselves with their hands. You survived with inconsequential injuries," the judge said.
Judge Desai told van Breda the attack displayed a "high level of innate cruelty" and warranted the severest penalty possible.
"It must rank extremely high on the ladder of serious crime. The violence was excessive and intended to cause maximum harm. We have no explanation for what you did and you have displayed no remorse," he said.
During the trial, van Breda claimed that a late-night intruder had entered the family's luxury residence on the highly-guarded De Zalze Golf Estate in Stellenbosch, outside Cape Town.
In his testimony, he claimed he was in the bathroom when a masked intruder began attacking his family.
He had suffered superficial stab wounds, which he claimed were caused from wrestling with an attacker. He said he then fell unconscious.
Prosecutors insisted the wounds were self-inflicted.
Henri van Breda, Marli van Breda, Rudi van Breda and their parents Teresa and Martin van Breda. Source: Facebook
Relationship with sister 'normal'
During Tuesday's sentencing hearing before Judge Desai, the court heard van Breda spoke highly of his mother and described his relationship with his sister Marli as “normal”.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Susan Galloway read out the impact that the crime had on Marli, saying she was a “vulnerable schoolgirl” when the attack occurred.
Marli was 16 at the time. She has no memory of the attack. Her survival was described by Galloway as a “miracle”.
Calling for a life sentence, Galloway described Marli as an “intelligent woman who has to grow up alone”.
She said Marli will have to “go through life with the knowledge that her brother killed her family and also tried to kill her. Her life will never be the same again.”
Henri van Breda, left, talks to one of his legal advisers, Piet Botha, right, in the HIgh Court in Cape Town, South Africa, Monday, May 21, 2018. Source: AP Photo/Nasied Manie
She said Martin van Breda clearly loved and trusted his son and did not expect to be attacked.
Teresa van Breda was also described by Galloway as a “loving mother who wanted the best for her family”.
The court heard he also had friends in Australia, connections he had made after the family moved there. They had returned to South Africa several years ago.
The family had lived on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland where Martin van Breda had run a real estate firm in Mooloolaba. They resided in the suburb of Buderim at the time.
Before this, the family lived in Perth. Henri and Rudi had attended Scotch College.
- Additional reporting by AFP.
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