'I felt immense calm'

2008-11-20 22:30

Fanie van Rooyen

Pretoria - "Even when I was giving her mouth-to-mouth, I felt this immense calm.

"I knew if God wanted my mother back, I could only be grateful on her behalf, because she is happy now."

Dr Duncan Prinsloo jnr, a veterinarian from Wapadrand in Pretoria, tried in vain to save the life of his mother, Laetitia, 54.

A little after 04:00 on Thursday, two murderers burst through the bedroom door and started shooting at his mother and father, Dr Duncan Prinsloo snr, 61, as they were lying in bed on their smallholding at Vaalbank, west of Bronkhorstspruit.

Laetitia died on the scene. Her husband, a well-known veterinarian, was hit in the back.

He is in a serious but stable condition in Wilgers Hospital in Pretoria.

The Prinsloo family's youngest daughter, Sharlien, 17, who was also in the house, was not hurt.

Police spokesperson Johannes Jaftha said the robbers had forced open the front door, broken open the door of the main bedroom and started shooting.

Pastor Morné Mundey, a good friend of the Prinsloos, was quickly on the scene.

"Sharlien's bedroom is on the ground floor. When she heard the shots, she called me immediately. When I arrived, a neighbour had already put Duncan on a drip.

"Laetitia was lying motionless on the bed. We first thought she had had a heart attack.

"Shortly afterwards, Duncan jnr started doing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Only when the paramedics lifted Laetitia off the bed did we realise she had been shot in the side and was already dead," Mundey said.

Jewellery was taken.

On Thursday Laetitia Prinsloo jnr, 33, the Prinsloos' eldest child, was on the way to the hospital from Hoedspruit.

- Beeld