DRAMA ON THE FORECOURT
Man accused of driving into tenant, beating her, after love affair claim
APROMINENT Durban businessman has been accused of driving his car into a woman, then hitting her and waving a gun at her after she approached him about spreading rumours of a relationship with an employee half her age.
The woman, a 47-year-old pharmacist, who had been renting premises at the businessman’s service station complex, claimed she was beaten on the head and shoulders and called a prostitute and b **** .
Bruised after the alleged ordeal, she has reported the matter to the police.
The business owner has denied her allegations, claiming they are “all lies”.
“She was the one holding the gun and waving it around. She took the gun and broke my car window,” he told POST.
“I tried to get the gun from her for the safety of myself and for my customers. When I eventually did, I discovered it was a gas gun.”
The woman said the drama took place around 6pm on a recent weekday.
“I approached him to get some validation about the relationship I was said to be having with his 23-year-old staff member,” she said. “I was livid when I heard the rumour, so I wanted to find out first-hand what was going on.”
The woman said when she questioned him about his source of information, she was told his wife had seen something on the CCTV cameras.
She said she then tried to get into his vehicle so she could confront his wife, but he refused.
“He tried to drive off and in the process, drove into me, which caused me to fall on the car and the windscreen cracked.”
She said this was in full view of patrons of the service station.
“This happened in a matter of seconds. He stopped the vehicle, jumped out and started to hit me. He kept on hitting me on my shoulder and head.
“I tried to push him back. He stepped on my foot and pushed me down. He continued to hit me while I was on the ground.
“I tried to push him away from me and that’s when the customers intervened.”
She claimed he pulled out a gun and everyone dispersed.
The woman said at this point, one of the patrons had called the police.
“I didn’t want him to leave the site, and took the key out of the car until the police came.”
Police arrived about 35 minutes later, she said, adding that while she had opened a case of assault, no one had returned her calls or given her feedback on the case.
She claimed to have sustained bruising to her chest, leg and back.
The business owner asked
POST to view video footage from the night the altercation took place.
A short clip was shown of a woman pacing the service station with a gun in her hand.
The actual altercation was not recorded, he said, as there was no camera where it took place.
He had since obtained a restraining order against her.
“I am her landlord, but she behaves in such a way? It is unbelievable.”
The business owner said he was also in the process of charging the tenant with perjury.
He threatened to charge anyone who tarnished his name that “I worked more than 60 years to build”.
A man who claimed to be a witness said he had seen the woman being hit.
“He dropped her to the ground, beat her and then pointed a firearm at her. I am strongly against woman abuse and rich businessmen cannot do as they please and bribe their way out.”
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane confirmed that a case of assault and pointing of a firearm was being investigated.