Plett home invasion case escalated

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - While it is still unclear why two suspects in a horrific attack on a Plettenberg Bay resident were released on bail, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) indicated that the matter would be escalated to the regional court.

The 65-year-old resident was overpowered by three men in his home in Zenon Street at about 16:00 on 27 January.

Nightmare attack
During the attack the resident was not only stabbed, but was also kicked, beaten, suffocated and had ant poison poured in his eyes.

A worker at a neighbour's house heard the commotion and called for help. The victim managed to escape the attackers' clutches and tried to run to safety while the men continued to ransack his home. One of the suspects were tracked, chased down and arrested in dense vegetation nearby. The other two suspects fled towards the N2 and were arrested in the bushy area near the Formosa Garden Village.

All arrests were made within 49 minutes. The stolen goods, which included a laptop, a camera, cellphones and various other high-value items, were also recovered.

The suspects, aged between 17 and 20, appeared in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate's Court soon after the arrest, where two were released on R3 000 bail. The third suspect abandoned his bail application.

Shock
The release has since sent shock waves through the community. The victim said he found it unbelievable that the suspects were roaming the streets again, especially since police found fingerprints on the scene; he managed to positively identify his assailants and police found the stolen items in their possession. The knives, which still contained the victim's blood, were also recovered.

NPA spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said he was still trying to establish the details around the release of bail of the two suspects from the office of the senior public prosecutor in Knysna. He however confirmed that one suspect abandoned his bail application and that another was a minor.

He said the matter was postponed to 17 March for a regional court date.

No longer safe
The victim said he had been informed that one of the bail conditions for the two released suspects was that they have report to a local police station twice a week.