Voice note alerts cops to robbery

A DURBAN North couple said a Whatsapp voice message they sent to their neighbourhood watch during a robbery yesterday saved their lives.

The couple, who did not want to be named, were at home when three men carrying guns got on to their property. Two weeks ago they had an attempted burglary. The burglars damaged the garage door. They hired a neighbour to repair it. While the neighbour was busy yesterday, the robbers struck. The wife said they held a gun to the neighbour’s head.

“I heard voices with an aggressive tone. My dogs were also growling. I went to check what was happening. A guy ran straight towards the house gate. He had a gun in his hand. He did not see me. He tried breaking open the gate. Two others interrogated my neighbour. They wanted to know who was in the house. He screamed ‘let the dogs out’. I panicked. I hid in the kitchen,” she said.

Her husband was in his room working with headphones on. Both hid in the room.

She sent a voice note to immediate neighbours and the local crime watch Umgeni Crime 1 Whatsapp Group.

“Please can someone phone the police. We are sitting in our room. There are guys who have come into our house with guns. Our doors are open… we are hiding in the room. They have the guy who is working on our garage door held by a gun… please we need the police here immediately,” she said in the audio recording. Within minutes security arrived. Marshall Security spokesperson Kyle Van Reenen said five suspects had fled in an unknown direction.

Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said a case of robbery had been opened.