Stabbed with sword but lives to tell tale

SATURDAY STAR

Bryan Mangan shows off scars he sustained during a robbery at his home in Auckland Park late last year. The robbers used his own decorative sword to attack him and Mangan spent several weeks in intensive care. Photo: Lungelo Mbulwana

Johannesburg - Bryan Mangan spent two months in a critical condition in hospital after robbers stabbed him with his own sword in his home in Auckland Park in December. But he lived to tell the tale.

“Crime in this country is spiralling out of control. If I was younger I would definitely leave South Africa, but when you’re my age, it’s not easy to start a new life elsewhere,” Mangan, 65, said this week at his sister’s home in Sandton, where he is still recovering.

The Joburg resident, who lives alone, was assaulted by two men in the third robbery at his home.

He had been preparing to go to gym.

“I was upstairs getting ready… when I saw them,” he said.

“The one was standing near the bar downstairs and the other one was standing at the door.”

Mangan, who has a twofold alarm system on his property, said one of the devices had not been activated on the day.

He said that when one alarm goes off, it immediately notifies his security company, while the other simply makes a buzzing noise. The buzzing alarm was the only one activated that day.

Mangan said that instead of grabbing his gun, he decided to fight the two men.

As he charged them, the robber near the bar pulled out a sword mounted on the wall and stabbed him in his abdomen. The blade entered Mangan’s stomach and exited on the other side – narrowly missing some of his organs. His spleen was damaged.

The attacker then grabbed an ashtray and hit Mangan on the head. The two men fled with his cellphone, wallet and one of the swords.

This had been the third break-in at Mangan’s home – but he doesn’t believe that it was the same people who had robbed him before.

The men have not been arrested.

A frail-looking Mangan, who lost 12kg while in hospital, said he remembered collapsing on the couch while holding on to the sword. He was eventually helped by security guards.

While he was in intensive care he was given eight pints of blood and had several operations.

Doctors had marvelled at his recovery, he said.

While Mangan did not remember the faces of his attackers, he said his only wish was for the police to act swiftly on his case.

“I had to call them and ask that I give a statement after being discharged from the hospital,” Mangan said.

“Before that no one followed up on the matter and no check-ups were done. I understand that it’s a difficult case for them to investigate because I don’t even remember my cellphone serial number, but I’d like for something to be done.”

Mangan said he was now more security conscious, and would make sure that his swords, which he bought for decorative purposes, were hidden.

Colonel James Makapane of the Brixton police station said he needed to speak to Mangan again to ascertain what happened that day.

Saturday Star