Beware of the naked patron
2007-08-31 13:48
Pietermaritzburg - Restaurants that have been stung have put out an alert to other eateries to beware of an Indian man calling himself Jason Pillay, who has targeted establishments at Liberty Mall, Scottsville, Cascades and the Golden Horse. Some have been ripped off more than once.
His strategy is the same every time. He orders alcohol and big meals and when shown the bill, he strips naked.
His latest victim is Jenny van Biljon, owner of Jemani Pub & Restaurant in Prince Alfred Street. She said: "He was here last Wednesday. He looks normal and acts normal until it's time to pay."
Van Biljon said the barman had called her back from an errand. "By the time I came in, he was totally naked and my staff had placed one of those refuse bags over him."
"We took him to the bathroom because I had other customers who were obviously taking offence at this - and he started cutting himself with [a] wooden knife."
Van Biljon said she was reluctant to call the police. She felt sorry for Pillay and she could see he was not stable. She called Fort Napier Hospital after Pillay had told her he was a patient there, but the hospital said he was not.
"When I found out he had done it to a pizza place and Spur, I knew I had to do something about it."
SAPS spokesperson Joey Jeevan confirmed that police have received many complaints about Pillay, and have taken him to Townhill Hospital several times.
She said many complainants did not press charges and merely wrote off their losses, believing that Pillay was mentally unstable. But, she added, he was arrested on August 18 and appeared in court two days later.
Several other reports of bilking and theft have been made against Pillay and it is believed he has evaded prosecution by claiming mental instability.
- The Witness