The GCN has learned of more attacks on elderly residents in the city.
Two incidents took place during the day, on April 9.
David James Richardson (64), who had been deaf since 1994, was murdered in his Dinwiddie home.
His granddaughter, Lee Stevens, contacted the GCN to tell us about the tragedy.
Richardson and his wife, Hazel (71), had lived in their home for 20 years and had good security.
“In all that time they had never experienced any break-ins,” Stevens said.
“On April 6, my boyfriend, Hein Nel, and I visited to say goodbye to my grandparents and to drop off our puppy, as my granddad said he would look after her for us while we were on holiday in Durban.
“Every day he would BBM me to let me know that everything was fine and he was always cracking jokes.”
When he messaged Stevens at about noon on April 9, and she replied, she noticed that her message had been delivered but had not been read.
“I kept trying to get hold of him, but nothing was delivering, but we knew he had problems with his network,” she added.
“At 5.15pm my gran arrived home from work; he wasn’t there to open the gate and door for her as he usually did.
“My gran entered the house and found my granddad ‘sitting’ on the floor in a corner of the house.
“She then noticed that a curtain rail and broom were broken.
“She wasn’t sure if he had fallen and hurt himself, but she didn’t think he was dead, so she went to her bedroom, where she noticed her jewellery had been ransacked, as well as her wardrobe.
“Still not really registering what had happened, she went to my granddad and found a bloody knife that had been used to stab him in the main artery of his leg, which led to his death.”
Stevens said Hazel found the back gate open; the lock was missing and a strange screwdriver was left behind.
The thugs made off with two laptops, a new computer screen, two cellphones, jewellery and Richardson’s wallet.
“They took something extremely important along with the goods; they took my granddad’s life, which can never be replaced,” Stevens said.
“Looking at what they took, it seems they were watching the house and him.
“You could definitely see he was deaf when he spoke to others.
“My grandfather was a loving, humble man and would help the world.
“To all the elderly out there: please look out for one another and have that alert button on hand.
“It is so sad that one must fear murders and being assaulted more than natural deaths.”
In the other attack, on the same day, Gerdview residents Erica (81) and Albert (80) Neilson were attacked in their home at about 7am.
Albert had just opened the back door for the couple’s dog to go outside.
“He normally opens the door and then leaves it open, so that our dog can run in and out,” Erica said.
She believes the three thugs involved climbed over the palisade fence and then entered the house.
“As I entered the passage, I saw a man standing there with his arm around my husband’s neck,” she said.
Erica was then also grabbed and, she said, both she and Albert were screaming, and the men hit them in their faces.
“They tied our hands behind our backs and our feet together so tightly that it hurt, and made us lie face down on the bedroom floor,” Erica said.
“We couldn’t see what the men looked like; all I could see were broken takkies and jeans walking over me.
“One of the men seemed to be quite short, as my husband looked taller than him when he grabbed him.”
After ransacking the house, and taking all the keys, the attackers locked the couple in the bedroom and escaped in their Mazda bakkie (registration: DLV 157 GP).
Erica told the GCN they took electrical appliances, jewellery, all Albert’s shoes and clothes and strange things, like her umbrella and headache pills.
They also took things of great sentimental value to the couple.
“When they grab you, especially from behind, there is really very little you can do,” Erica said.
After the thugs had left Erica and Albert tried to free themselves.
“It took us until 2.45pm to get our bonds loose, but then we were trapped in the bedroom,” she said.
“We called and called out of the bedroom window until two young boys walking past heard us.
“The smaller of the two managed to squeeze through the palisade fence, as the attackers had closed the electric gate behind them.
“He got into the house and opened the bedroom door for us.”
The Primrose police were called and they responded quickly.
“The police were very helpful and considerate,” Erica said.
“We thank them, as well as all our neighbours, our family and the two young boys who assisted us.
“They were all fantastic.”
No arrests have been made in either case as yet.
We were deeply shocked to hear of David Richardson’s murder. He is my wife’s cousin, but the last time we saw him was 20 years ago when he came to England for his father’s, funeral, the only time he had been back since emigrating to RSA when in his 20s. That was the only time we had been able to meet his lovely wife, Hazel, with whom we have remained in telephone contact over the years, since the telephone became impossible for him with his deafness. The thoughts and prayers of the the few remaining relatives still in the UK who remember David are with Hazel and David’s South African family at this sad time, and we will keep in touch with them.
Curiously, the GCN report about David’s murder ran immediately before the report about a violent burglary against Erica and Albert Neilson – not related as far as I know, but clearly descendants of Scottish Neilsons, as am I. My thoughts are with them also as they recover from their frightening experience.
Robert Neilson