Woman's whistle scares off intruder
2012-11-05 10:54
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Durban - In a brutal attack at the weekend, a 65-year-old Pumula woman was woken by the sound of shattering glass and confronted by a knife-wielding intruder.
This was the second attack in the Southport policing area this week and is thought to be linked to the same assailant, according to police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Zandra Wiid.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, the unknown man used a brick to smash a big window in the bedroom of the woman’s home in 15th Avenue, Pumula, and jumped through it, landing on top of her.
Wiid said he held a knife against her throat and threatened to kill her.
“He then pushed her from the bed and into the remaining area of the house in search of what he could steal.
Whistle
“Somehow she managed to grab a whistle, given to her by a friend some time ago, and she blew it continuously.
“The intruder let go and fled, taking two cellphones and cash,” said Wiid.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha, whose paramedics stabilised the woman on the scene at around 04:00, said she was “very traumatised, with very serious injuries and fractures”.
The woman was taken to Hibiscus Private Hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit in severe pain and shock, said Wiid.
The Witness was unable to ascertain her name.
Wiid said she suffered a broken hip which will be operated on once her condition is more stable.
The woman told police the same man asked her for a job a week ago.
The intruder is described as short, with a very dark complexion and a round face.
He is well built and was wearing a dark rain jacket with a hood and spoke English very well.
Police suspect there might be a link between this attack and another case of robbery and assault last week that happened to an elderly man in Southport and his domestic worker.
94-year-old man attacked
At about 10:00 on Thursday, a 94-year-old man was sitting in the lounge of his home in James Road, Southport, while his domestic worker was busy in the house.
All of a sudden the front door was unlatched and a man entered the room with a brick in his hand.
He pushed the elderly man and the maid around and threatened to hit them with the brick.
He demanded cash and fled with a cellphone and money.
The man and the domestic worker sustained slight injuries.
Southport police are investigating both cases.
The head of the Community Safety Organisation for the South Coast from the Umtentweni River to Umzumbe, John Irven, was shocked to hear about this weekend’s attack.
“The first thing that I would say to the community is that thanks to our excellent Southport police work these are the first incidents of their kind in a long time, so people must not panic.
“The only thing I can urge people to do is to do what I most strongly believe in, and that is invest in layers of defence: fences, alarm systems, closing windows, the whole defence drill.
“But at the end of the day you can only do your best.”
Irven hailed the woman’s bravery for blowing her whistle but said it was advisable to offer as little resistance as possible.
“Rather just do what they want so they don’t hurt you.”
Wiid urged the community to be cautious and report people loitering suspiciously to the police as soon as they are spotted.
