Bleeding dad dies next to kids

2008-10-27 10:36

Hilda Fourie

Pretoria - A Pretoria father died next to his tied-up wife and two sons, after robbers shot him in cold blood.

As he lay tied-up and bleeding at the door, Marius MacDonald, 42, begged the man who had shot him, for help.

"The robbers didn't worry at all," said his brother-in-law Wiekus Moolman, 21, following the murder on the smallholding at Leeufontein, northeast of Pretoria.

The area is situated in the crime-ridden Kameeldrift region.

Three robbers, one of whom was named Oscar, entered the MacDonalds' home through a window on Sunday shortly after midnight. They woke up Gareth, 12, who was lying asleep in front of the television. They pressed a gun against his head and told him to call his parents.

Victim asked for help

"When my sister and Marius opened their door, there were already two robbers at the door," said Moolman. "Marius took one step forward and they shot him."

"His wife stood behind him and his son, Jason, 2, next to him. Gareth was on the stairs. I don't know if he saw what happened to his dad."

Moolman said MacDonald fell on the floor in front of his door. The robbers tied Gareth up with shoelaces on his parents' bed. Then they took Leonora MacDonald, 38, who was carrying Jason, to the safe. She gave them the keys and the robbers took four firearms.

They asked for cellphones and forced Leonora to sort out house, gate, and car keys. "They then tied her up next to Marius," said Moolman. "She was still holding Jason. They made Gareth kneel next to his father and tied his hands and feet behind his back. Marius kept asking for help and water. When my sister wanted to help him, they threatened to shoot her. They also tied Marius's right hand to his right foot."

The robbers then searched the house and found Moolman where he was hiding in Gareth's room. He was also tied up with shoelaces.

They then loaded the television, laptop, computer and other electrical goods in the MacDonalds' Volkswagen Polo. MacDonald died five minutes before they left.

"I could hear what was going on and felt so helpless."

According to Moolman, police found the murderers close to the MacDonalds' smallholding, but they ran off. They fled with only the weapons.

- Beeld