CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AFP) — A South African man convicted of killing his wealthy parents and brother in a frenzied axe attack that left his sister severely injured will be sentenced on Thursday, a court said.

Henri van Breda, 23, had denied murdering his 21-year-old brother Rudi and parents Martin, 54, and Teresa, 55, and leaving his sister Marli struggling with near-fatal injuries to her head, neck and throat.

Van Breda was convicted of three counts of murder, one of attempted murder and one of obstructing justice on May 21 with the judge describing the verdict as “inescapable”.

During the trial, Van Breda had told the court 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 January 2015.

“Although this may appear to be relatively uncomplicated I think I owe it to the accused and to society generally to at least consider the sentence for a few days… sentence will be delivered at 10:00 am on Thursday,” said judge Siraj Desai on Tuesday.

Van Breda was remanded in custody pending his sentencing.

The trial generated fevered interest over a privileged son allegedly unleashing a savage attack on his family, whose fortune — estimated at US$16 million —was derived from property.