Son hands himself in after dad killed
Two businessmen were attacked over the weekend, one of them fatally, while the other survived to tell the story.
Shanith Ryan, 28, surrendered himself to the police after he allegedly stabbed his father, Dean Ryan, 57, to death in Tarkastad on Saturday evening.
In a separate incident on Sunday, in Komani, Cameron Nel, who was with his pregnant wife, was injured when fighting off an armed intruder in their home and business in the CBD on Sunday.
Tarkastad police Captain Lariane Jonker confirmed that Shanith Ryan was arrested on charges relating to murder.
He appeared in the Tarkastad magistrate’s court on Monday and was remanded in custody until Monday.
Dean Ryan, who was in his house when he was murdered, was a wellknown businessman in Tarkastad.“Ryan and his son, Shanith, were drinking at the house in Du Plessis Street [at about 10pm],“Jonker said.
“An argument ensued between the father and son, whereafter the father assaulted his son with his fists.
“The son then retaliated and stabbed his father three times with a knife in the upper chest and shoulder.“
Jonker said Shanith then reported the incident at the police station.
Jacques Venter, a friend of the deceased, said Ryan’s estranged wife, who is based in Johannesburg, and elder son attended the court case on Monday.
He said: “Most people will remember Ryan as the owner of Dean’s Supermarket which burned down in a mysterious fire which also affected the FNB in 2018. He was a great friend of mine. His death has upset residents.
“He was a man who got along with most people. It did not matter to him whether a person was black or white.“
Meanwhile, a shaken Nel said he was woken up by his barking dogs at 1am.
“At about 1.15am the Yorkie inside the house started barking uncontrollably and would not calm down.
“I went to check and took my baseball bat for defence. I went to the kitchen and I saw the light on. There was food and juice on the one counter.
“I rushed into the business office and switched on the light and there was a guy inside our house.“
He caught the suspect attempting to steal money after he had accessed the keys from where they hung.
“I asked him what he was doing inside the house. He shouted profanities and racist remarks. He came at me with a knife. I swung the baseball bat at him, but it fell.After that I just had to survive.“During a tussle, Nel was stabbed in the lower lip and chin. They then wrestled into the passage and bathroom.
“I fell and hit my head on the shower. I was knocked out briefly. He tried to run towards the kitchen and my pregnant fiancée was standing in the way.
“He wanted to stab her and that was the quickest I’ve ever moved in my life, because he could take away the lives of my family.“
He grabbed the suspect’s hand holding the knife, got his fiancée away from the man, and was cut on the finger.
Nel said the thief ran into the living room, broke a window and got out, climbing over a concrete wall and a high palisade barrier with electric fencing.
He then contacted the police and the Community Policing Forum who tried to chase after the suspect, but to no avail.