A VICTIM who only just survived when an intruder attacked him at his home, has broken his silence about his ordeal. Edward Gribben (73), from The Bluff has broken his silence following the conviction of the man who assaulted him in July last year.
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“The recent judgment handed down by the Durban Magistrate’s Court proves that the wheels of justice do turn eventually,” said Gribben.
A year after the attack occurred Gribben still vividly recalls the brutality that left him with an open wound on the head and one on the arm.
In an exclusive interview with the SUN recently, Gribben said he was over the moon following the conviction of the man who assaulted him.
The accused, Andile Blessings Mkhize, was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for robbery with aggravated circumstances.
Mkhize broke into Gribben’s house on The Bluff, smashing the window with a brick to gain access. Gribben said he was fast asleep when he was awakened by the sound of breaking glass.
“I went out to investigate what was happening. As I stepped out, a man appeared and struck me across the head with long-handled loppers. I had to fight back because I knew it was a fight where, if you were to lose, you would die. I got the shears out of his hands and managed to press the panic button. He followed me and continued hitting me several times with a wooden plank before he fled,” he said.
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Gribben, a well-known plumber on The Bluff, said after pressing the panic button, Blue Security arrived.
“I am healed and happy. My wife and I have been praying that the person who attacked me receives a heavy sentence, one which he deserves. I am relieved that justice was served in this matter.
“However, I think elderly people are being targeted by criminals in this community as there have been many incidents where they have become victims of crime,” said Gribben.
It was the second assault Gribben suffered by Mkhize. In 2022, Mkhize broke into the property and entered Gribben’s home. He tried to open the bedroom door, and, despite numerous blows to the head with a wooden plank, Gribben managed to stop Mkhize, who eventually fled the scene. Mkhize was not apprehended after the first incident.
It was only during a police identity parade following the second attack that Gribben identified Mkhize as the man who had brutally assaulted him twice. Mkhize was arrested last year, and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment recently.
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