Story sparks hunt for wayward brother
I wouldn’t believe a thing that comes out of his mouth
IF you find my brother, please tell him our dad died.
With these words, the reality of the Knowles family feud became obvious. What started as an intriguing search for the owner of an abandoned car at King Shaka International Airport has reopened old wounds — and a picture has emerged of the car owner as a pathological liar not trusted by even his own flesh and blood.
The Sunday Times last week carried an article on the Kia, which has been in the parking lot since 2011 and amassed a parking fee of almost R175 000. All four tyres are flat, the licence disc has long expired and mould is growing on its exterior.
The battered Kia Carens hatchback triggered the search for pilot Robin Patrick Knowles.
His estranged siblings painted a picture of deceit and dishonesty when describing their brother, who left South Africa in 2013, his destination unknown.
“If you do manage to get in touch with him, please tell him to phone me. I need to tell him our dad died two years ago,” his brother, Tim Knowles, said this week.
So bad are family relations that they do not have a contact phone number for him or even an e-mail address.
“At this point I could not tell you what continent he is on or even whether he’s alive. He has been all over the place, from America to Australia to New Zealand. To be honest, I have no idea where he could be,” said Tim.
If the newspaper did contact him, said Tim, everything he said should be treated with a pinch of salt. “I wouldn’t believe a thing that comes out of his mouth. He is a liar. Hearing that he’s left a car that belongs to him at an airport for so many years does not surprise me in the slightest.”
His sister, Louise, issued the same warning. “He’s a liar . . . or a borderline sociopath. I haven’t been in contact with him in years.”
Louise said Robin spent his formative years in Port Elizabeth and had married five times in his travels around the country. The Sunday Times understands his fifth wife, Esther Knowles, now lives in New Zealand. Attempts have been made to contact her.
“My mom was always afraid she would see him on America’s most wanted [list] — but I say no news is bad news,” said Louise.
According to available public documents, Robin remains an active director of six companies, including a promotions agency and an aviation firm. The four Gauteng properties listed in his name were a dead end; none of the occupants of the houses in Fourways knew his whereabouts.
Repeated efforts to contact Robin were unsuccessful at the time of going to print.
“I have tried to find him so many times before,” said Tim. “I haven’t heard from him in years. Our father passed away and I am not sure if he even knows that. I have looked for him on Facebook without any success. At this point you will need to be a private investigator or something of the sort to find him, but if you do, tell him to call me. Actually, rather don’t.”