More details surface in Woodhill killing
R6 Million security upgrades could not prevent murder.
Chilling details emerged this week around the killing of a businessman in the upmarket Woodhill Golf estate in the east of Pretoria.
About 15 security guards were on patrol when criminals shot dead John Lyons (53) in his own home on Friday.
A source, who asked not be named, said by the time the ambulance arrived at the scene, the security guards were not there yet.
“I was the one who phoned the police. By the time John was declared dead the police eventually turned up.”
The two attackers first tried to break into Lyon’s neighbour’s house in Observatory Avenue, but their doors were locked. The doors of the Lyons couple were not locked in the estate protected by electric fences and state-of-the-art cameras.
Initial indications were that the two criminals entered the estate through one of its four gates.
John and Linda were woken up by a commotion in the house. Upon investigation, they found two armed men on the property. The intruders spotted the couple, held them gunpoint and tied them up.
John managed to untie himself and pursued the armed robbers. A fight broke out, and during the struggle a shot went off, hitting John in the upper body and killing him on the spot.
The criminals left swiftly and escaped within minutes from the estate through one of is four gates.
Though additional cameras were installed in August last year due to a spate of house-breakings and attempted house-breakings, no one spotted the robbers and no arrests have been made.
Garsfontein police spokesperson Warrant Officer Dave Miller said on Monday: “We are still looking for them.”
The Woodhill Golf Estate, next to Mooi-kloof and Silver Lakes, is one of the most prestigious ones in Pretoria.
The prices for properties in this estate varies from R2.5 to R11 million and it boasts a luscious golf course, a tennis court and a cub house. To all appearances, this is an idyllic haven to raise one’s children in safety.
Afrikaans singer Arno Jordaan bought a property there around eight years ago. “I have never suspected that someone would be murdered there,” he said. “I am going to start locking my doors. But I still regard the estate as a safe place to stay.”
After the shoot-out, a notice was send to all residents stating that “the management have deployed maximum security resources on the estate and will be conducting searches at all gates.”
Residents pay a levy of R3500 per month and a percentage of this fee is allocated to security.
The estate’s home owners association (HOA) had approved an additional R6 million last year to rectify 3what was described as “the current shortcomings of the system”.
The estate borders Plastic View, an informal settlement near Moreleta Park and has became a target for criminals.
Afrikaans singer Sunette Bridges, who also lives in the estate, was also a victim of an attempted burglary in June last year. Bridges woke up early and spotted the men on her front porch. She raised alarm.
For this reasons the local home owners association has in stalled earth-loops on the fences and put additional security staff at one of the gates. An additional nine security guards were also deployed during nights.
Some of the residents believed the murder and the theft “might be an inside job” and rumours were circulating that a Nigerian-syndicate was staying in the estate. This could not be confirmed.
Deborah Schmidt of the Just Letting Property Group in Centurion said this was not a far-fetched notion.
“According to law no rental agency could discriminate against anyone on the ground of nationality, race or sexual preference. When we rent out a property, we only do a credit check but we usually refrain from doing a criminal check as it is not a requirement. It is time consuming and costly to do a criminal check. If a landlord asked us not to rent his property to a foreigner, we will accommodate his needs.”
By time of going to press neither Fidelity Security nor the body corporate of Woodhill Golf Estate replied to questions that were sent to them on Monday morning.
Also read:
Man shot and killed in upmarket Pretoria estate
Police arrest Woodhill estate robbers
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