Verdict to be delivered in family ax murder trial

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – A South African man accused of murdering three members of his family with an ax arrived in court on Monday morning to hear the verdict in his case.

Henri van Breda also is charged with attempting to murder his sister in the alleged attack on Jan. 27, 2015. Marli, then 16, suffered severe injuries and is reported to be unable to remember the incident.

Van Breda, who handed himself over to police in September 2016, has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, including an additional charge of obstructing justice.

His trial began more than two years after his parents and older brother were killed in Stellenbosch, a scenic wine-growing region.

The van Breda family had emigrated to Australia but returned to South Africa several years ago.