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CAPE TIMES
After evading police for six days, French couple Philippe Meniere and Agnes Jardel were killed after a shootout with police in an abandoned farmhouse just a stones throw from where they lived. Photo: Michael Walker
The search is over, the dust has settled, and the mysterious French couple who came to settle on a farm outside this tiny Karoo town over a decade ago, are dead.
With their death ends a massive manhunt, where over 70 police officers with highly trained trackers and dogs searched a 3 000ha farm on foot and from the air, for six days.
In the end, the couple, who astonishingly managed to remain at large for so long, had crept back almost to the place they had come from, and holed up in a vacant farmhouse a few hundred metres from the farmhouse in which they had lived for 12 years.
Not only near their old home, but almost right under the noses of the investigating team, who had set up their operational headquarters in the farmhouse next door to the French couple’s home.
It’s all over, but no one is nearer the truth of finding out just who were Philippe Meniere, 60, and his partner, Agnes Jardel, 55. What were they about? How did this couple, who came to Sutherland to get away from city life and to escape “the system”, who seemed so peaceful and who would “not even kill a snake”, end up shooting a young police officer dead last Friday?
Then Meniere, with Jardel shooting from their house, wounded another police officer in the back, and when the remaining two policemen and two civilians fled, they climbed into one of the men’s bakkies and reportedly tried to hunt them as the men ran for their lives, leaping over bushes and dodging bullets.
A police warrant officer from the dog unit jumps over the fence after French couple Philippe Meniere, 60, and his partner Agnes Jardel, 55, were found dead after a shootout with police in the farmhouse in the background. Police found ammunition and a bullet maker at the French couples house (left). Photo: Michael Walker
CAPE TIMES
The couple may have had more deaths on their hands, but the bakkie got stuck, the men got away, and the French couple fled into the veld.
What had sparked the seemingly crazy behaviour? If the police know, they are not saying, nor are Jaen and Cobus du Plessis, sons of Gerhardus, who owned the farm on which the couple lived.
The little information that can be gathered about the couple is that Meniere was a medical doctor, trained in France, who had come to South Africa in the 1980s. Police said he had worked at Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto and at Coronation Hospital in Johannesburg.
Little is known about Jardel. She told the Du Plessis family that she had been in advertising.
The couple came to Sutherland about 12 years ago, and rented a house in the town. It’s a tiny dorp, and Gerhardus du Plessis soon got to know them. When it became apparent that they wanted to find a farm to live on, he offered them the original farmhouse on his property, 22km outside Sutherland. Du Plessis himself did not live on the farm, as he also ran a construction business with his son, Cobus in town. It apparently suited him to have the couple on the farm for security.
Du Plessis was divorced at the time. The family got to know them over the decade they lived there, but did not find out very much of their background – nor were they particularly forthcoming. They did, however, say they belonged to the Ramtha School of Enlightenment, and over discussions over the years, it became apparent that they believed that the end of the world was near, and even asked Du Plessis if he would build them a survival bunker. He laughed it off.
But they appeared to take the survival aspect seriously. In their house, police found stacks of tinned food, camping equipment, paraffin, gas bottles, candles, firelighters and water containers. That, and lots of equipment to make bullets.
The couple escaped with several weapons, and left behind in the safe Meniere’s passport and R8 000 cash.
What triggered the murder? Police say Du Plessis wanted to evict the couple from the house where he had allowed them to live rent-free. He had since married, and his new wife and his sons wanted to renovate the historic farmhouse for their own use.
The couple had apparently agreed to move by December, but did not. It is not clear why the Du Plessis family went to police last week, to tell them that they suspected that the couple had unlicensed weapons at their house, but it appears that this might have been to expedite their departure.
Four police officers, Cobus and his brother Jaen, went to the house last Friday. Police say Meniere was reasonable and handed over a mass of weapons. He apparently had had licences for them, but they had expired. Police put the weapons in their vehicle. This is where it becomes strange: police say Meniere said he did not feel well, leant over and pulled a handgun from his clothes and shot student officer Jacob Boleme, 27, dead. The others fled. He then shot a second officer, Glenwall du Toit in the back, wounding him. Jardel was shooting from the house.
Ironically, it was their committing murder that led to the couple having to survive in the Karoo veld, not any end of world scenario. In their possession was a book Don’t Die in the Bundu. A handy survival book, but not one that can offer advice on how to escape the biggest police manhunt the Northern Cape has seen. - Cape Times
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Marly Marls, wrote
Why sooo many cops and effort to kill a granny and grandpa? Something fishy!
Anonymous, wrote
They had every right to fight their eviction using force. Since when can you simply evict a person without a court order? As for the problem of unlicensed weapons which turns out were simply lapsed licenses, I think this is all a much ado about nothing. They had every reason to fear for their lives after being taken into custody by a some goons. A story about betrayal, a farmer who used them for security and then, when he tires of their New Age claptrap, decides he is a big christian and wants to off them to make way for his family. There is a lesson here somewhere, nobody can truly own the earth, we all have a right to the land.
Steven, wrote
Too many anomalies in this story, firstly in one of the previous reports it stated only one of the policeman had been armed, if so why go to a house that supposedly holds a cache of unlicensed firearms unarmed, or only with one firearm. Secondly the farmers sons are now refusing to comment, why, what are they covering up and for who. It’s almost a joke that the couple were able to double back and hide out in an adjacent farmhouse 400 meters away, says a lot for our SAPS doesn’t it and their extensive comprehensive search of the area. And finally they never stood a chance of being arrested, from the moment they ran we all knew that it was only going to end one way, their violent death. In no way do I condone or accept any violence towards the SAPS, but everyone deserves a fair trial regardless how horrendous their crimes are.
Barry M, wrote
SA firearms licenses cannot "expire" - they are still all valid under current law!
Anonymous, wrote
The Du Plessis' should be arrested for falsifying information and accusations; endangering the lives of Police and public; circumventing the law.... just for starters. Pity there isn't a law for traitorising your neighbour!!!
Ali happy with SAPS, wrote
Ja, being S.African can be interesting...how they alway differ, some even saying foolish things..hawu, but Mr Engelbrecht blaming police for being involved in "rent dispute they should not be in"...it was not a rent dispute, they had lived there 12 years for free, and refused to move when asked by the owner..then they kill a policeman, injure another one, they shot their way out and ran away, holed for 6 days...what do you call this? SA Police for once did a steriling job!
Xolani, wrote
It is very sickening to hear these Human Rights Groups questioning the Police acts when a suspect has been shot. This couple killed a Cop, a South African and they wasted SA Police resources and our tax money by escaping, they deserve every bullet that touched their bodies. A BIG job well done to the whole SAPS Team that took part in the operation.
GreenBull, wrote
Too many anomalies in this story, firstly in one of the previous reports it stated only one of the policeman had been armed, if so why go to a house that supposedly holds a cache of unlicensed firearms unarmed, or only with one firearm. Secondly the farmers sons are now refusing to comment, why, what are they covering up and for who. It’s almost a joke that the couple were able to double back and hide out in an adjacent farmhouse 400 meters away, says a lot for our SAPS doesn’t it and their extensive comprehensive search of the area. And finally they never stood a chance of being arrested, from the moment they ran we all knew that it was only going to end one way, their violent death. In no way do I condone or accept any violence towards the SAPS, but everyone deserves a fair trial regardless how horrendous their crimes are.
Lehito, wrote
Riddens to bad rubbish....they killed a cop and they had a whole lot of dangerous weapons with, so, what was the police suppose to do???...Shoot their butt-holes and pin them to the wall.....
Grandpa, wrote
It takes the SAP 1 week and more than 70 cops to stop a French grandpa and granny. How are they going to stop 5 million criminals?
Girly, wrote
Good wrok SAPS!
Samantha , wrote
It is amazing at the amount of ignorance amount people. Now it seems the farm owners sons wanted the house for themselves ? Us considering the danger of the French couple is so oblivious to some of us Seriosuly people stop living in this small self centred world
richard tyne, wrote
Cop Killers deserve exactly what they get. if you want to dish it out you must take it!!!! Good riddance!!
Derick, wrote
A cop was killed. The murderer has been brought to justice. No long court case where they can get off with a few years in a 3 star hotel. As for the "eviction" the cops would be called out 1st hear the story and leave advising owner of legal procedures. As for unlicensed firearms the owner would have been arrested. Cop was dead before it got to that. SAPS did there job in my books 1010.
Anonymous, wrote
We all are equal, some are more equal. Many questions, no answers. Why are in farm murder mostly all culprits at large. They seem to go underground and police only looks above ground? Tragic about all the dead ones in this case! You can see why not everybody can accept the fact that we all are gone one or another day. People talk about 2012. But all have to remember, that the soul is the eternal part in us. Would not be surprised if these two souls would haunt the farm in future...
Nick, wrote
They had a history of strange behavior, reactionary ideas, and a cache of weapons. They refused to leave when given notice by their landlord. They shot two policeman in front of witnesses and one policeman died. They were on the run and were armed and dangerous. Why would anyone think that a massive police hunt would be inappropriate? Also imagining that this was going to have a peaceful outcome is simply naive.
Anonymous, wrote
The farmers two step sons were there, and they are not talking. I wonder why. They know the truth. They wanted the house back for themselves and now they got it. It cost 3 people their lives in the process. I wonder how they will sleep at night.Condolences to all families of the deceased. Such a shame.
Anonymous, wrote
The South African police force is really interesting. For all their...is the word ineffectiveness? they do (I think) try to keep the people of this country safe and Im sad that one of them lost his life in the line of duty. Hope this will never happen again.
prophecy, wrote
A classic example of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Anonymous, wrote
If you cross the North Korean Border illegally you get 12 years hard labor. If you cross the Iranian Border illegally you are detained indefinitely. If you cross the Afghan Border illegally, you get shot. If you cross the Saudi Arabian Border illegally you will be jailed. If you cross the Chinese Border illegally you may never be heard from again. If you cross the Venezuelan Border illegally you will be branded a spy and your fate will be sealed. If you cross the Cuban Border illegally you will be thrown into political prison to rot. HOWEVER If you cross the South African Border illegally you get ü a job, ü a drivers license, ü a pension card, ü welfare, ü credit cards, ü subsidized rent or a loan to buy a house, ü a free education and ü free health care. Perks include ü weapons of your choice. And in South Africa you can ü murder, ü use drugs, ü drink and drive, ü steal, ü rape BUT PLEASE South Africans DON'T SMOKE in a public place - it is illegal
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