A 31-year-old shop assistant narrowly escaped death during an attempted business robbery in Silverton, Pretoria, last week.

He was shot at twice, but both bullets just missed him. The assistant’s attacker, Johan Jacobs (46), appeared before the Pretoria’s Magistrate’s Court on Monday to face charges of attempted murder, attempted business robbery and being in possession of an unlicensed firearm.

The shop assistant, who put up a brave fight, spoke to Rekord anonymously due to fear of victimisation.

“The robbery attempt was just after 16:30. There were no customers and it was only my manager and I in the store. The man walked in, grabbed biscuits, chips and an ice cream and as he walked towards the till, he pulled out a gun. He ordered me to give him money and when I said I didn’t have any, he shot at me. The first bullet went above my shoulder and the second one scratched my abdomen a bit and I fell,” the shop assistant said.

The shop assistant added that Jacobs then went to the till and demanded money from the shop manager.

“I got up from the back and grabbed him by his windpipe,” he said and added that Jacobs dropped his gun.

“I thought of taking the gun and shooting him but my hands were shaking a lot. I was scared and something in me did not allow it. I believe God did not want me to do that.

“I took the gun and instead hit him on the side of his head. He started bleeding and I continued to strangle him and did so until the police arrived. By then, he was full of blood.

“At the time I thought: ‘If I die today then that will be that’, but I believe God saved me from that situation.”

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Isaac Mculu said police responded swiftly to the shooting after a witness called them. “A 9mm parabellum firearm was found at the crime scene and it was seized.”

Mculu said the investigations were handled by detectives who deal with serious crimes.