Appeals court to hear Van Breda media coverage matter
Murder-accused Henri van Breda is expected to challenge a ruling allowing Media24 permission to livestream his trial in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein.
In April, Western Cape High Court Judge Siraj Desai refused the State and Henri van Breda leave to appeal his decision allowing Media24 permission to livestream the axe murder accused's trial.
Desai said the National Director of Public Prosecutions and the accused "both continue to resist the video recording and broadcast of the criminal trial".
There was no evidence to support the State's claim of possible adverse effects of broadcasting the testimony of witnesses, Desai ruled, nor was it easily ascertainable how Van Breda's fair-trial rights would be compromised.
"If there is any hint of that occurring, the order granted by me can be easily varied."
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Desai had granted Media24 permission to film proceedings to be livestreamed following an urgent application.
Two unmanned cameras would be allowed in the courtroom, but the allowance excluded exhibits and images and recordings of Henri’s sister Marli, after her legal representative Advocate Louise Buikman stressed the importance of shielding her from the media glare.
Desai said there was no real prospect of the trial being jeopardised.
Van Breda is facing three counts of murder, one of attempted murder, and one of obstructing the course of justice.
ALSO READ: Van Breda trial begins two years after axe murders
His parents, Martin, 54, and Teresa, 55, and his brother Rudi, 22, were axed to death in their home on the luxury De Zalze golf estate in Stellenbosch in the early hours of Tuesday, January 27, 2015.
He handed himself to police in June and was granted bail of R100 000 on June 14.
Marli, 18, survived the attack, but sustained serious brain injuries and suffered amnesia.