SHOT OVER GAS GUN
Man charged with murder after petrol station brawl
APHOENIX teenager who used his employer’s gas gun to threaten a motorist during a brawl over parking at a local petrol station, was shot dead, allegedly by a bystander.
Angelo Perumal, 19, was shot in the chest and thigh in Clayfield in the early hours of Saturday. He died about three hours later at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital – after telling his father he would be fine.
The man accused of pulling the trigger, Thireshen Naidoo, 31, is believed to have thought the gun was real.
After the shooting he surrendered himself at the Phoenix police station.
He was charged with murder and appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Monday. He was granted R3 000 bail.
Perumal, a driver at a health spa, would have turned 20 next month.
POST has seen grainy CCTV footage of the incident, which showed Perumal stumble after he was shot. He heads for his Corsa bakkie and gets into the driver’s seat.
His friend, Corban Govender, exits from the passenger side and struggles to push Perumal on to the seat he occupied.
Govender drives off – to the hospital.
“My son was a sweet and humble child who never demanded anything and appreciated what we gave him,” said Perumal’s mother, Priscilla, a sales assistant, shortly before his funeral on Monday.
“He was not the type of person to go out and cause a fight,” she wept. “I last saw him on Friday at around 8pm. He came home from work, ate pizza and asked me to iron his clothes as he had to close the spa at 9pm. Before he left, he told me he would not be long.”
Priscilla said Perumal intended meeting his friends afterwards. She added that they received a call at around 1am on Saturday.
“A cousin, who lives nearby, said they heard Angelo was in a fight and was shot in the leg, so my husband went to the hospital.”
Perumal’s father, Mano, who works for a shoe company, said: “He was thirsty and asked for water. When I questioned him on what happened, he said ‘don’t worry, I will tell you’.”
After Perumal was examined by a doctor, Mano returned to his son’s beside.
“This time he told me he would be fine. I didn’t expect him to die.”
The parents, who also have a 13-year-old son, demanded justice.
“Whoever did this must face the consequences of the law,” said Mano.
His wife added: “When people shoot, they know they will get bail, so they feel nothing when taking another’s life.”
They said their son did not point the gas gun at anyone and the shooting was unwarranted.
Perumal’s employer, who requested anonymity, said the gas gun belonged to him.
“It was for protection as we had break-ins at the spa.”
He said he had seen the CCTV footage of the incident and Perumal had not pointed the gas gun at anyone.
“The person who shot him was an observer, who watched the whole fight and saw Angelo with the gas gun,” he said.
“Only when Angelo was turning to leave, did he shoot him.
“He should have fired a warning shot if he felt his life, and that of others, were threatened.”
Perumal’s friend, Govender, recounted the events: “Angelo picked me up and we went to his work to lock up.
“We then went to Calshots Sports Ground to meet our friends. That’s a safe place to sit and relax.
“After about two hours, Angelo wanted to go to the garage to fill petrol, so he didn’t have to do it the following morning before work.”
Govender said the garage had two bowsers on either side that faced each other.
“When we arrived a Yaris was already parked between two petrol pumps on our righthand side.
“The Corsa faced his vehicle.
“Angelo tried to get as close to the petrol pump as possible.
“Then the driver started showing us brights and hooted, instructing us to move.
“Angelo said he was filling fuel but there was also enough space for the driver to get out.”
Govender went to the shop but returned after two minutes as the ATM was not working.
“By then this guy and Angelo were fighting and Angelo had the gas gun.”
Govender said three of the other driver’s friends, who were at the car wash on the property, arrived.
During the fight he said Perumal hit the driver with the butt of the gas gun.
“I managed to get him away and as he was turning, this guy, who was standing and watching, fired three shots. He then walked up to Angelo and said, ‘Talk now’.”
Govender said neither he nor Perumal had known that Perumal had been shot.
“Angelo went to the van and got into the driver’s seat. I noticed his pants was wet and when I touched it, I saw the blood. By then he was panting for breath. I got out and pushed him from the driver’s seat to the passenger’s seat.”
SAPS spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said witnesses had told police there was a fight between two men and that one had fired two shots at the other.
“He then jumped into (his) vehicle and fled the scene…” Zwane said a 31year-old man was later arrested. “A pellet (gas) gun was found at the scene… It is alleged that the deceased pointed the pellet gun at the suspect after a fight and pulled the trigger and that’s when the 31-year-old pulled his 9mm firearm and fired shots towards him.”
Johan Pienaar of the Air Rifle Association of South Africa said a gas gun was not considered deadly and no licence was required. He said regardless of this, it resembled a gun and could easily confuse others into believing this.
In terms of the Dangerous Weapons Act of 1968, any person found in possession of a dangerous weapon or any object that resembles a firearm is guilty of an offence and on conviction can be fined, or jailed, or both.