Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Robbers attack and assault houseparty goers

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29/07/2008 08:09 - (SA)

Virginia Keppler, Beeld

Pretoria - A car guard was shot and an academic was viciously
assaulted when at least six armed men attacked a house in Faerie Glen
in eastern Pretoria during a birthday party over the weekend.

An attacker pointed a gun at Wayne Truter, 32, and pulled the trigger,
but the shot didn't go off.

"I was very lucky," Truter said on Monday from his bed in Pretoria
East Hospital.

He and about 15 other guests were celebrating his fiancée Minandi
Mostert's 30th birthday when they were attacked.

Truter, who is a lecturer in the Department of Plant Production and
Soil Science at the University of Pretoria (UP), was assaulted during
the attack.

'It was like a cowboy movie'

Truter said he and five others were dancing when an armed attacker
walked in and aimed the gun at them.

"When I saw it, I immediately raised my hands. It was like a cowboy movie."

Truter ran from the garage to the house to get his panic button.

The other attackers forced Mostert and the other guests to lie down on
the veranda.

"I ran out again and wanted to flee from the bottom of the garden to
the neighbours to get help, but three of the robbers grabbed me and
dragged me to a dark place at the back of the property.

"They assaulted me, the kicked me in the stomach, where I had recently
had a hernia operation, and hit me on my left leg with a brick or a
pipe.

"I fell and then one of them tried to shoot me."

When the shot did not go off, the attackers jumped over the wall and fled.

He then realised that he was seriously injured and that the car guard
had been shot in the arm.

Truter and the guard were both admitted to Pretoria East Hospital and
the guard was later transferred to Pretoria Academic Hospital.

Guard in stable condition

Truter said they had hired the guard to look after the guests'
vehicles for the evening.

The guard, whose name was not made known, is in a stable condition.

Mostert said on Monday that she would not have another party at home.

"It's too dangerous. Next year we're going to the Spur."

Police spokesperson Colette Weilbach said the police were
investigating charges of attempted murder, armed robbery and assault
with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Source:News24

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2365853,00.html

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