The following attacks have been tracked and confirmed by the Sunday Times through case reports and interviews with witnesses and victims.

February 7 2020 – Atholl

Suspect broke in while two children and a housekeeper were asleep in their own rooms. He spent about four hours

in the house before setting fire to the main bedroom.

February 14 2021 – Sandhurst

Home owners were away when an intruder broke in and set fire to the house.

February 24 – Sandhurst

The homeowner was woken by daughter’s screams. The house was on fire, contents were burnt and the case was

registered as a suspected crime.

May 20 – Hyde Park

The homeowner was away. The neighbours were woken by their housekeeper who saw flames coming from the house. The couple, housekeeper and gardener fought the fire until help came. Incident confirmed as arson.

July 23 – Illovo

Older couple were asleep when a suspect entered their bedroom armed with a spade. He ordered them lie face down covered by their bedding while he ransacked the house and threatened to kill them. He set fire to the spare bedroom – they only realised when they started experiencing smoke inhalation. Woman jumped out the window and the house burnt to the ground in two hours –

before anything could be salvaged.

July 30 – Benmore Gardens

Family was away for the weekend when their security company informed them their house was on fire. A man had broken in and set fire to the main bedroom. Footage of a suspicious individual captured on neighbour’s CCTV

footage.

July 31 – Dunkeld

(NO FIRE, BUT THE INCIDENT FITS OTHER ATTACKS) A couple was asleep when a suspect broke in and strolled around the house – captured on video. He chewed on a carrot and spat bits across the study, then ate a naartjie and stuffed the peel under a couch cushion. He then walked into the main bedroom armed with a garden pitchfork, prompting the husband to give chase. The suspect ran down the stairs, turned and threw the pitchfork at the husband, hitting his arm. “The guy was strong as an ox, high as a kite, or both”.

November 20 – Hurlingham

Owners were away when they were called in the early hours by security informing them that their house was on fire. Security footage shows the suspect breaking in through a skylight, roaming the property for a long time before setting it on fire.

December 18 – Bryanston

An elderly couple were held up in their home by a suspect who threatened to kill them. He locked them in the house and set it on fire before they were rescued.

December 22 – Dunkeld

Family was away when their home was broken into by an individual who then lit a fire on the top floor – which was destroyed, with the ground floor suffering extensive water damage.

December 27 – Craighall

Two houses burnt down on the same night. The first confirmed to be arson – purposely set on fire while the family was away. The second house, which burnt to the ground several hours later while the family was away, was found to be an electrical fault.

March 12 2022 – Hyde Park

Reports from neighbours and people in the community are that the house fire was suspected arson.

March 29 – Dunkeld

A prominent homestead of a family who were overseas, was entered by an individual who roamed around, drank what he could find and urinated in a bin. He set fire to the top floor, destroying the home and all contents including valuable artworks.

April 7 – Lower Houghton

A man entered the home of a high-profile family while they were away – only the elderly father was home. The suspect roamed the house, took a bag of apples and wine. He assaulted the victim, set fire to the house and locked him in. The man was rescued.

April 8 – Houghton

Arson attempt reported by a couple who woke up to find a suspect in the process of setting fire to their home. They chased him off.

April 25 – Oaklands

Two incidents a few houses apart. In the first, a man woke to find someone had broken into his home. He scared off a man trying to set fire to the curtains. Several hours later two neighbours were woken by the screams of the elderly couple living between them. They were locked in their burning home by a suspect who let himself out through the front door and cut their garden hose.