Cape Town - Marli van Breda was left in a coma after an axe attack that murdered her family; the colour of the axe used in the attack is now also in question.
This emerged at the trial of her brother Henri van Breda, who is accused of murdering their parents, Martin and Teresa, his brother Rudi and for the attempted murder of Marli.
Investigating officer Marlon Appollis told the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday he was tasked with looking after Marli.
He stayed with her while she was treated at Stellenbosch Medi Clinic and was with her when she was transferred to Somerset Hospital.
During cross-examination, defence advocate Piet Botha said that in Henri Van Breda’s statement he claimed that Colonel Deon Beneke had told him that Marli had given a statement in which she described the attack.
Appollis reiterated that to the best of his knowledge Marli was in a coma at the time and could not have given a statement.
“She still has no recollection of the murders," said Appollis.
The colour of the axe used in the attack is now under scrutiny.
When Judge Siraj Desai asked Appollis about the number of axes at the murder scene, Appollis said the forensic team had only found one axe on the scene and that had there been another one they would have found it.
Botha reminded Appollis that James Reade Jahn had testified that the axe he had seen in the Van Breda home had a black blade while the axe in evidence was green.
“A piece of the axe is black so Jahn's testimony didn't give enough of a description of the axe head,” said Appollis.
Appollis added that the domestic worker said that the axe was always in the pantry and that there were no other axes there.
The case has been adjourned until Monday when state advocate Susan Galloway will call blood spatter expert Captain Marius Joubert to testify.