PRISONERS IN THEIR OWN HOMES – SOME OF THE VICTIMS
VICTIM 1: Margaret (70) Robbery in January and April 25 – Burnham Drive, La Lucia LA LUCIA resident Margaret (who asked that her surname be withheld) has been robbed twice this year. The first time she was asleep when burglars stole electronic appliances.
The second time, she was awoken when her alarm went off. “As I answered the call from the security company, I heard footsteps on the stairs. Two men broke down my bedroom door. One held me down while the other took my jewellery, including the rings on my fingers.”
They escaped by squeezing through a small space that the burglar guards do not cover.
She said she feels like a prisoner in her home, scared to collect the papers in the morning and to take her dog outside. She is selling up and moving to Australia, where her children live. VICTIM 2 John and Mary-Lou Currie Robbery, May 3, Mendoza Place John Currie arrived home at 6.20pm on Friday while his wife and son were on the beach. He interrupted a gang of burglars.
“I pulled up to our driveway and saw a guy carrying a TV. When he saw me, he screamed and five or six guys ran out of the house and jumped into a red Subaru,” Currie said.
The robbers stole TV sets, computers, game consoles and various appliances. They also destroyed the electric gate.
“They are so slick – in and out within minutes – and knew what they wanted. In the 15 years we have lived here, this is the first time something like this has happened. I believe they planned this. It was not oppor- tunistic. They were too professional,” said Mary-Lou.
“We have many security features – laser beams, alarms, aluminium doors – but it seems no matter what security you have they can still get in. We have hired a 24-hour guard, at R1 000 a day, until our gate is fixed. This is an economic war between the haves and the have-nots.” VICTIM 3: Rex Aspeling Attempted robbery two weeks ago – Mendoza Place Rex Aspeling said burglars tried to break into his home two weeks ago and that they have had two burglaries in the past year.
“In the most recent attempt our dog started barking inside when the alarm went off. We saw the guys trying to break in and chased them off. They jumped over the back of our property. Thankfully nothing was stolen.
“The security companies are too lax – they are not patrolling enough. I was a member of the community police forum about four years ago and we saw a surge in crime then. Teams would patrol at night and all the criminal elements left, but it seems they have returned.” VICTIM 4: 29-year-old mother Robbery, April 11 – Churchill Avenue, La Lucia A 29-year-old woman who spoke on condition of anonymity said she’d been surprised at how calm and eloquent her attackers were. Three armed men came onto her property at about 10am.
She knew something was amiss when she heard the domestic worker next door scream.
“I went out towards her and a guy came and took me into the neighbour’s house. There were three armed guys, and they made us kneel.
“When I pleaded with them not to shoot me, one patted my shoulder and said no one would get hurt if we co-operated. They stole some items and eventually drove off in three cars, the one they came in, my BMW X5 and my neighbour’s Mercedes.”
She said she is skittish in the daytime when she is alone.
“I am not going to move because of this.” VICTIM 5: Stella Stewart Robbery, December 21, 2012 – Fairview Drive, Umhlanga Stella Stewart left her house for an errand and returned minutes later to a ransacked house.
A gang took all their valuables in under six minutes. The private security arrived just over six minutes after the alarm went off.
“The house was destroyed. They broke down our front gate and front door. They broke every shelf in the cupboard where the safe was and managed to open it and steal the cash. They stole our IDs, tossed aside our credit cards but took our wild card that allows you access to nature reserves for the year,” she said.
Stewart is fearful, especially at night when the dogs bark.