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Durban - Former Proteas and Dolphins cricketer Pat Symcox has described his shock at coming face to face with an armed robber in his beach home when he and his wife, Liz, were robbed at Mtwalume on Wednesday morning.
Symcox said he woke up when he heard his dog barking.
“At 02:00 the dog barked. I woke up and went to the bathroom and when I came out I was face to face with an intruder who had taken my rifle.”
Symcox sleeps with the rifle at his bedside.
“The intruder was in my room when I woke up. It’s scary to think of that.”
His wife was asleep in the same room and was awoken by Symcox’s scream.
“When I saw the intruder I locked myself in another room and screamed and he ran through the hall and got out through a small window. We are lucky that (Liz) did not wake up when he was in the bedroom,” he said.
Symcox believes there was more than one robber. They gained access to his property through a small hole in the electric fence and entered the house through a small window that didn’t have burglar bars.
The robbers got away with a laptop, a firearm and other personal items. The property has electric fencing and security gates.
“They could have been in my house for hours. They broke into my store room and got in there as well.
“We are just very lucky that they never harmed us, very lucky.”
Symcox said most of the houses in his neighbourhood are holiday homes and there have been a few burglaries.
“Crime in South Africa is really getting out of hand. The police really need to do get proper systems in place to reduce it.”
He said that the intelligence on the ground needs to be increased. “These guys are obviously stealing and selling the stuff for cash. Police need to find where they are selling. That cuts off the supply.”
Symcox said he woke up when he heard his dog barking.
“At 02:00 the dog barked. I woke up and went to the bathroom and when I came out I was face to face with an intruder who had taken my rifle.”
Symcox sleeps with the rifle at his bedside.
“The intruder was in my room when I woke up. It’s scary to think of that.”
His wife was asleep in the same room and was awoken by Symcox’s scream.
“When I saw the intruder I locked myself in another room and screamed and he ran through the hall and got out through a small window. We are lucky that (Liz) did not wake up when he was in the bedroom,” he said.
Symcox believes there was more than one robber. They gained access to his property through a small hole in the electric fence and entered the house through a small window that didn’t have burglar bars.
The robbers got away with a laptop, a firearm and other personal items. The property has electric fencing and security gates.
“They could have been in my house for hours. They broke into my store room and got in there as well.
“We are just very lucky that they never harmed us, very lucky.”
Symcox said most of the houses in his neighbourhood are holiday homes and there have been a few burglaries.
“Crime in South Africa is really getting out of hand. The police really need to do get proper systems in place to reduce it.”
He said that the intelligence on the ground needs to be increased. “These guys are obviously stealing and selling the stuff for cash. Police need to find where they are selling. That cuts off the supply.”
