Gunmen storm cop’s engagement party

A house where a robbery took place while the family had an engagement party.Picture Zanele Zulu.28/09/2014

A house where a robbery took place while the family had an engagement party.Picture Zanele Zulu.28/09/2014

Published Sep 29, 2014

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Durban - A Durban policeman watched in horror as armed robbers stormed his engagement party, held a gun to his fiancée’s head and robbed guests and family of their jewellery at the weekend.

His fiancée’s father was robbed of a gold chain, but was unhurt after a gun was fired in his face. The shocked man saw the flame from the barrel, but there was no bullet. The woman’s mother was also robbed.

The constable, attached to the Phoenix serious and violent crimes unit, described the terror to the Daily News on Sunday.

However, he asked that their names not be used for safety reasons. The robbery took place at his future in-laws’ home in Raglen Road near Northcroft, in Phoenix, on Saturday night, soon after the formal engagement ceremony.

The couple were in a bedroom when the robbers stormed in, he said.

“When we heard the commotion we thought there was a brawl outside. My partner quickly went out to check and suddenly she was accosted (and directed) back inside by a man holding a gun to her head.”

Her father, a taxi owner who also runs a construction company, told the Daily News that the commotion ensued after robbers pushed some of his relatives, who were leaving, back inside the house.

He said it was after dark when some of the guests had left. Robbers accosted his wife’s brother, who had been outside the house; one placed a gun to his back, while the other stood at the door.

“I could not understand what was going on after my brother-in- law told me to remain calm. But soon after seeing a gun placed on his back I realised we were being robbed,” he said.

“I was sitting on a sofa when the same attacker went straight to my daughter’s bedroom and placed a gun to her head. I followed him and he pushed us back to the lounge.”

The 54-year-old victim said one of the robbers saw his neck chain and yanked it until the pendant cross fell to the floor.

He said he cursed the robber who was picking up the pendant, which he had bought 20 years ago for about R5 000. His attacker put a gun to his face before firing.

“I told him what you are taking is your curse… he might have been intimidated by those words because he fired one shot at me. I saw the flame, but there was no bullet,” he said.

“My daughter quickly pulled me back and I fell over. I… woke up and realised I was not hurt.”

He believes the gun used was home-made because its barrel was bigger than normal and it had a vintage appearance. While he was being attacked he said he had not realised his wife was being chased by two robbers outside the house.

When she fell, they snatched her R45 000 gold chain from her neck. He said he had bought the chain as a 10-year anniversary gift.

The robbers had targeted genuine jewellery, not fakes, he said.

After snatching her chain, one robber ran back inside the house but slipped and fell on the floor while trying to grab another woman’s chain. He got up and fled.

“I heard that they closed the gate behind them and drove away in a white Toyota. We are grateful nobody was killed,” the homeowner said.

KZN VIP protection unit director, Glen Naidoo, who sent his private security team to help the victims, said people should remain vigilant. He said another robbery was reported a few minutes later in Shastri Park, Phoenix.

“Two men armed with guns robbed a resident by placing a gun to his daughter’s head. They allegedly fled into Mandela Park,” Naidoo said.

Phoenix Community Police Forum cluster chairman, Umesh Singh, said on Monday there had been a number of armed robberies in the suburb in the past month. “We don’t know if there is one syndicate in operation, or several,” he said.

Daily News

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