Shopper's eye smashed in shop
2010-09-07 09:09
Johannesburg - Two guards and two workers at a hardware shop in Silverton, Pretoria, apparently smashed a man’s eye into his skull with a knuckle duster because he broke a R30 light bulb in the shop.
Sam Adams, 60, of Eersterust, in the east of Pretoria, said he had already paid for the light bulb when the workers and guards at Build Mart Trading assaulted him.
Adams had an operation on his eye on Sunday in the Little Company of Mary Hospital in Pretoria. He said that according to his doctor, there’s a good chance he may lose the use of that eye.
“How can they beat up an old grandpa like me?” he wanted to know on Monday.
Paid for broken light bulb
He and his employer went to the hardware shop at about noon on Saturday. “While I was waiting for my employer to fetch a trolley, I picked up light bulbs and one of them fell and broke,” said Adams.
When Adams’ employer returned with the trolley, he loaded all the light bulbs (including the broken one) in the trolley. Then they loaded other goods worth about R2 000 and went to the cashier.
According to Adams, he took out R100 and paid for the broken light bulb.
“My employer became angry and decided he’s not going to buy the other things any more.
“One of the workers became angry and swore at us in English. I told him ‘same to you’. He screamed ‘I’ll fuck you up’.”
The next moment, two big security guards grabbed and held me, the worker put a knuckle duster on his hand and kept hitting me on my right eye.
“The guards also kicked and punched me with their fists. Another worker joined in and also hit me.”
Assault
Adams said his employer tried to intervene, but when they hit his spectacles from his face, he stepped aside.
“My employer has a smaller build than me. The attack only stopped when a school principal from Mamelodi stepped in.”
Adams went to the Silverton police station. The police went back to the shop with him where he pointed out his attackers, who were then arrested.
The other worker fled.
Police spokesperson Jan Sepato said they are investigating a case of assault, and the three suspects were released with a warning pending the investigation.
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