Prominent Laudium businessman Omar “Omie” Carrim’s last request to his family was for a glass of water. Then he sat back on the couch, blood streaming from his ears and nose, “very peacefully” put his head down and closed his eyes for good.
This was the evidence of Carrim’s son Ebrahim Carrim, who on Monday re-lived his 68-year-old father’s dying moments in the Pretoria High Court during the trial of two men arrested for the murder.
Both Clement Mametja, 38 and Mpho Lucas Makgai, 28, pleaded not guilty to murdering Carrim or to the attempted murder of his 56-year-old wife Nurjehan Carrim on October 13, 2008 at their home in Mink Street.
Carrim was hit on the head and in his face with the butt of a firearm. He died before his family could call an ambulance.
His wife was assaulted while she was praying in the bedroom. She spent 11 days in hospital.
It is claimed the accused stole R400 000 in cash, jewellery and about R15 000 in Korean currency.
Ebrahim Carrim became emotional when he relived the day he discovered his parents tied up with cable ties in their home. He said his father was minutes away from death, but he opened a lock on the front door with his teeth.
He said he had earlier been out on the road, chatting to a friend after evening prayers.
He said he saw one of the security guards who patrolled their street, Winners Lekgelo, walking up the road from the vicinity of his parents’ home.
“Winners was mumbling ‘quickly, quickly, robbery’. He said it was at my parents’ home. We rushed there and I panicked when I saw the gate was open.”
Ebrahim said he feared that the robbers were still inside the house and he tried to lure them outside by pelting the front door with stones. There was no response so he banged and kicked the door.
“I heard my father from inside screaming that his hands were tied. He said I must try and break down the door.” When he could not, his father managed to open the door using his teeth.
“When I saw him I broke down and cried. He had blood on his head and was pale. I embraced him but he was concerned about my mother and told me to go to her in the bedroom.” Ebrahim said it was obvious at that stage that robbers had broken into their house.
He found his mother tied up at the foot of the bed. She said she had been hit on the head by the robbers.
She told him to return to his father, as she was concerned about him.
Ebrahim said by that time he was in a rage and drove up the street to see if he could find the robbers. Realising the “thugs” were probably armed, he returned home.
He found his father sitting in a chair in the lounge and he asked for his grandchildren. His mother, who was in a state of shock, was by then also in the lounge as she wanted to see her husband. “My father said he had no idea how the robbers got in. He had fallen asleep in front of the television and said the next thing he knew, the thugs were in front of him demanding money. They dragged him from room to room.”
“He asked for a glass of water and I started praying. He took a sip of water and clutched my wife’s hand.
“He sat back and very peacefully put his head down. Blood poured from his ears and nose and he never opened his eyes again. I realised they had brain-killed him. They had hit him to death.”
A doctor who lived nearby declared him dead, but the family would not accept it.
They put him in a car and rushed him to the Unitas Hospital, trying to revive him.
“I could not believe it. He was such an energetic man.
“I told him ‘dad, don’t give up’, but I realised there was nothing I could do but pray,” Ebrahim said.
The case at this point had to be postponed to today as the State after the lunch break told the court that the case docket had been stolen during the break.
It later emerged that the docket had fallen from the table and it was later discovered by the cleaning staff.
Note: Lekgelo was initially also arrested for the murder, but charges against him have been withdrawn. - Pretoria News