Morningside student brutally assaulted in home invasion

An armed robber severely assaulted a student after breaking into her Morningside home in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Blue Security operations manager Brian Jackson said the student’s screams awoke her Davaar Place landlord at around 5.30am as the robber fled the property. “The student had woken up to find the intruder, armed with a knife and a steel rod, standing beside her bed. She screamed and he pushed her onto the bed and shoved a pillow over her face,” he said. “He then beat her repeatedly with the steel rod before wrapping her into her duvet and threatening to stab her if she did not remain calm.”
Jackson said the intruder then ransacked the house and fled with a computer, credit cards, a cellphone, wallet and other valuables. “He grabbed the tenant’s keys and used them to unlock the security gate to get away,” he said.
The intruder had squeezed through the burglar bars of an open window to gain entry into the home. Mayville SAPS attended the scene of the crime.
Jackson advised residents to ensure windows were closed and adequately secured at night. “Installing external beams on your property also provides an early warning system to alert you to the presence of an intruder. It buys you time to lock yourself in a ‘safe room’ in your home from where you can call your security company and the police for help. The room should be equipped with a spare cellphone and a panic remote that is tested regularly.”