Elderly FS farmer, wife attacked

2010-08-30 11:41

Bloemfontein - An elderly Free State farmer and his wife were assaulted and robbed by three men on their return home from church, Free State police said on Monday.

Sergeant Majang Mosupa said Dirk Odendaal, 80, and his wife Sophia, 79, of the farm Verdun, near Bethlehem, got home at noon on Sunday.

"Mrs Odendaal approached the kitchen door where she was overpowered by three unknown men wearing balaclavas and gloves."

Mosupa said she screamed and her husband went to her rescue, but the men, armed with knives, also assaulted him.

They ordered the couple to open the safe and stole a pistol and cash.

Mosupa said the couple was locked in an outside freezer. The robbers fled in Odendaal's maroon Ford Bantam bakkie.

Mosupa said Odendaal and his wife freed themselves at 15:00 and phoned relatives, who contacted the police.

The couple was taken to the Bethlehem Medi-Clinic with facial and body injuries.

- SAPA