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Elderly couple hit back
25/05/2007 09:17  - (SA)  

Cape Town - An elderly couple overpowered a burglar in their house in Proteaville, shot him in the stomach and hit him over the head with a set of exercise weights.

The burglar was apparently so seriously injured that he begged the couple to shoot and kill him.

Meanwhile a charge of attempted murder was being investigated against the 77-year-old homeowner.

The badly traumatised couple, who didn't want their names to be published, told their horror story to Die Burger on Thursday.

Five other houses in the street had also been burgled during the past five weeks.

According to the woman , 73, she went to bed about 21:15. Her husband was already sleeping.

"I head a noise outside the house, but thought it was our dog. After a while I heard the alarm sensor go off in our bedroom.

"Then I saw somebody crawling past the end of the bed. I shouted to my husband that there was somebody inside the house."

Her husband, whose head was still bloodied and stitched on Thursday, grabbed his pistol and followed the man through the house.

"I asked: 'What are you doing in my house?' He said he was going to shoot me. He went to the kitchen and returned with a porcelain bowl in which we kept fruit. He hit me over the head in the lounge and grabbed hold of my firearm before I could shoot him.

"A struggle started in the corridor before I could pin him to the floor. I shouted to my wife to hit him over the head."

The woman grabbed a set of exercise weights and hit him with it.

"I hit him only once, but couldn't do it again.

"I was angry with him, but felt sorry for him when he shouted: 'Ouch, I hurt. Why don't you kill me! It wasn't me, I was sent.'

"I then pushed the panic button and ADT soon arrived. I took pictures of him."

The police and paramedics arrived and took the man away.

There was still blood on the carpets and walls of the house on Thursday, as the woman had to wait until the police had finished their investigation.

Their radio/CD-player and video player was found wrapped in one of their blankets outside the house.

"I feared that he would shoot my husband, but when he screamed in pain, I wasn't afraid any more."

The elderly man's injuries were treated in Durbanville Medi-Clinic.

"I'm still waiting for the police to find out what will happen next."

Police spokesperson captain Fienie Nimb confirmed the incident.

She said a "case of attempted murder was also being investigated against the elderly man".