Mr Johan Richards (67) and his wife Sonja (50) were at their home on Friday, November 7.
“We normally go out, but for some reason we decided to stay at home,” said Sonja.
At approximately 20:00 Johan and Sonja went to their bedroom to watch some television, when Sonja heard a banging noise and then the dog started barking.
Sonja turned the television volume down and said to her husband that there was someone in the garden.
Johan grabbed his firearm and went outside with Sonja to check what was happening.
Outside they noticed that the gate leading to the carport had been broken open.
They started searching the garden at approximately 21:15. When Johan decided to lift the plastic sheeting up from the trailer, he saw a suspect lying underneath.
Before Johan could do anything, the suspect hit him on the hand with a steel pole and then ran away.
Johan fired a shot as they were running away.
Their neighbour, Simon, arrived to see what was happening and came to help.
At 22:00 Sonja phoned the police and she was told that they did not have any vehicles at that stage and they would send one as soon as possible.
In the meantime Sonja’s son made his way to his parents from eMalahleni.
At 01:00 the police were contacted again and were asked where a vehicle was. They said they would send one out. By 01:30 the police arrived after Sonja told them there were blood splatters all over the walls.
A case of attempted robbery was opened as the suspects did not steal anything.
“We would just like to say thank you to Simon, Dries and Alta Fourie, Pieter Opperman and our son,” said Sonja.
Johan went to have his hand checked out and it’s apparently cracked.
“The issue of not having a vehicle available is never an excuse and the case will be investigated further on why the members took so long to respond to this call,” said Captain Klaas Maloka, spokesperson for Vosman SAPS.
