Expense of living like a prisoner in suburbs
THE Westville dad whose finger was smashed by robbers wanting his wedding ring, and who was beaten with a pickaxe, has fenced his house and adopted two guard dogs.
The man, who did not want to be named, said he felt he was living like a “prisoner”.
He was also disappointed to be told by police that they closed his case in December last year.
In November, the “finger gang” raided his home, also assaulting his teenage son when he tried to help his dad.
The family lost gold jewellery worth R250 000 which he had presented to his wife when they got married.
Yesterday, almost a year after the ordeal, he said he was R40 000 out of pocket after upgrading his security.
“The fence won’t stop them, but it’s a delaying tactic. I ensure that gates are locked and all doors are closed, during the day,” he said.
He was upset by the police’s handling of his case, saying they did not keep him updated and closed his case just a month after the incident.
“Because I live in Westville, the police think I am rich and my items are insured. Those crime stats, by the minister (Nathi Mthethwa), are flawed. How many cases are they closing? I want my wife’s jewellery back. It was sentimental.”
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Police spokesman Jay Naicker would only say: “Police have exhausted all leads in the investigation and the case remains unsolved. Should new evidence surface police will continue to pursue the investigation further.”
A case could not “closed”, Naicker said.
Crime statistics released yesterday showed the number of house robberies in Westville increased from 81 in March last year to 102 in April this year.
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