Cape Town -
While his fellow college students were enjoying their spring break, a Bellville youngster studying in the US is alleged to have taken the opportunity to steal a master key to the dormitories and rob them blind.
The student, award-winning swimmer Duncan Bonney, 22, has now been arrested in connection with 18 counts of burglary at the Birmingham-Southern College (BSC) in Alabama, where he was studying economics.
Bonney is the son of Su and Gary Bonney, from Welgedacht in Bellville, who own the well-known Vineyard swimming club. Birmingham police spokesman Lieutenant Sean Edwards confirmed the arrest.
Bonney is accused of stealing a master key to the dormitories and breaking into the rooms of his classmates at the small private arts college, while they were away on their spring break.
His mother, Su Bonney, refused to comment when contacted this week, except to say: “How come his three years of excellence and good standing have not been reported, but one blemish and the media wants to report it.”
Hannah Wolfson, the college’s communications director, said Bonney enrolled there in 2012. He had been majoring in economics, but had been suspended after being caught.
“The campus police did not deal with him. The Birmingham police handled the matter, but he is no longer attached to the campus,” she said.
Bonney was arrested by Birmingham detectives on April 6, and his bail was set at $180 000 (about R2.16m).
Asked whether the bail amount was unusually high, Edwards said: “It’s not a lot of money to us.”
After a spate of break-ins between March 13 and 22, BSC campus police contacted the Birmingham police, Edwards said, adding that Bonney had claimed to be one of the victims and staged his dorm room to look as if it had been burgled. Campus detectives said they didn’t buy Bonney’s story of being a victim, as “something looked shady”.
Edwards confirmed a report which said the police investigation showed Bonney unlawfully entered 18 dorm rooms, stealing textbooks, high-end calculators, watches and electronics. He was selling the textbooks online, and selling the electronics - mostly PlayStation – on eBay. He didn’t have time to sell the expensive calculators, police said.
Bonney had an outstanding swimming season last year, winning seven individual Southern Athletic Association (SAA) titles and being named SAA Male Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive season.
In 2013, he won the college’s Newcomer and Swimmer of the Year awards.
Robinson’s report quoted Birmingham attorney Chris Daniel as saying: “Duncan is a good young man and has co-operated fully with the investigating detective. His family in South Africa have expressed their complete support, and we are working through the legal process together.”
College president General Charles C Krulak, said in a statement: “The entire campus community is saddened by this incident. Birmingham Southern College has long operated under an honour code, and in this instance the honour code was violated. When the perpetrator was identified, he was dismissed and the campus turned him over to police.”
Saturday Star