Sea Park grandmother beaten in broad daylight – for a cellphone
The duo returned home from an early-morning stroll and were playing with their dogs when they noticed that two men had pushed open the large main gate and were sneaking up on them.
Seconds after 15-year-old Sanette de Heer filmed her grandmother playing with their dogs, they were attacked in the yard of their Sea Park home.
Anna-Marie de Heer (60) and Sanette had gone for an early morning walk around the block on Monday morning at about 6.30am.
“Everything was calm, peaceful and beautiful outside. I usually carry my pepper spray but on this particular morning I didn’t take it. I also never take my phone but on this occasion had it on me for work purposes,” said Anna-Marie.
“I was on high alert but didn’t notice anything out of place during our stroll.”
The duo returned home and were playing with their dogs when they noticed that two men had pushed open the large main gate and were sneaking up on them.
“I saw the men running towards us, and as I turned to run towards the house I felt the point of a knife on my back,” said Sanette.
One of the men grabbed Anna-Marie by her arm and twisted it, causing her to fall into a sitting position.
She was then beaten on her legs with a stick.
Meanwhile, Anna-Marie’s daughter Amaranta (25) was watching the incident unfold from her bedroom window.
Fearing for the safety of her toddler, she stayed in the room and phoned Lazer 911 Security.
“It was almost demonic in the way they were hitting my mother – like they were trying to beat her to death, definitely intent to kill,” said Amaranta.
She described the men as aggressive, wide-eyed, brazen, awake and fast, of medium build with dreadlocks.
They are thought to be between the ages of 20 and 30.
She added that the men were well dressed and not obviously suspicious characters.
Both carried long sticks and one was armed with a large knife.
“Although they had taken my mother’s cellphone they continued to hit her,” said Amaranta. The attack has left Anna-Marie’s legs badly bruised. Her right arm was also injured.
Sanette eventually managed to get into the kitchen and pushed the panic button.
Hearing the alarm, Anna-Marie’s son, Sarel and his partner Carina rushed out of their garden flat.
Their arrival saved Anna-Marie, and Sanette said she was sure she had seen the men raise the knife in her gran’s direction.
The men fled on foot with Anna-Marie’s cellphone.
Shaken by the incident, Anna-Marie said it was no longer safe to walk.
The family explained that they had on three occasions seen two men walking in the Sea Park vicinity with a book and pen.
They believed the men were taking note of the houses, and encouraged people to report this kind of behaviour.
Police spokesman, Captain Petros Mpinge said that Southport SAPS was investigating a robbery case.
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