Despite the Eastern Cape police announcing a drop in highly organised burglaries targeting affluent suburbs yesterday, criminals continue to terrorise Bonnie Doone residents.
Thieves broke into financial wealth manager Antony Godwin and wife Debbie’s Lower Ridge home for the second time in three months over the weekend.
In February the Dispatch reported about a break-in at the Lower Ridge house where thieves helped themselves to jewellery and Godwin’s pistol, which was in his safe.
On Sunday, when the couple returned home after a weekend away, they discovered that their house had been cleaned out.
Eastern Cape provincial police spokeswoman Captain Mluleki Mbi said: “We can confirm that a case of burglary has been opened for investigation after the suspects broke into the house while the owners were away for the weekend. The suspects made off with household items including television, laptop, power tools etc.”
Speaking to the Dispatch yesterday, Debbie Godwin said the suspects gained entry into their house through the roof after removing the roof tiles.
“They crawled inside the ceiling all the way from the upper lounge to the bathroom ceiling.”
Godwin said once they reached the bathroom ceiling, the suspects bashed the ceiling down.
“They then broke the door and window of the bathroom and started breaking down all the doors of the rooms in the house because they were locked.”
Godwin said there is nothing of value left to steal in their house after they were cleaned out of expensive jewellery and digital equipment on February 18.
“After they took all the sentimental stuff in the last robbery, nothing matters anymore. But they created a huge job for me to clean up because they left the place upside down with all the drawers opened and things thrown all over.”
About seven robberies took place in Lower Ridge and Norwood Street in the past two months, bringing the total number of break-ins in the suburb to 11.
More robberies were reported on Beach Road and Woodleigh Street in Nahoon.
The Daily Dispatch has reported on a string of break-ins in the suburb in recent months with some houses being hit twice. Owners of East London International Convention Centre Sam Nassimov and wife Nola also fell victim to the criminals twice. A Sheerness Road family were cleaned out at the beginning of this month. Former Clarendon headmaster Owen Nel’s Norwood Avenue home has also been burgled twice by the thieves with the taste for expensive jewellery.
In a statement to the Dispatch yesterday, Cambridge police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said the police have set up a task team to specifically tackle burglaries in and around Bonnie Doone and surrounding areas.
“We are also working closely with security companies operating in these areas. Our efforts are bearing fruits as we have seen a drop in this type of crime in this area.”
However, Mbi could not supply the Dispatch with statistics to back up the claims. He also dismissed reports that a syndicate was operating in the area.
“We cannot at this stage conclude this as the work of the syndicate as our investigations are still ongoing.” — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
Bonnie Doone still targeted by thieves
Thieves broke into financial wealth manager Antony Godwin and wife Debbie’s Lower Ridge home for the second time in three months over the weekend.
In February the Dispatch reported about a break-in at the Lower Ridge house where thieves helped themselves to jewellery and Godwin’s pistol, which was in his safe.
On Sunday, when the couple returned home after a weekend away, they discovered that their house had been cleaned out.
Eastern Cape provincial police spokeswoman Captain Mluleki Mbi said: “We can confirm that a case of burglary has been opened for investigation after the suspects broke into the house while the owners were away for the weekend. The suspects made off with household items including television, laptop, power tools etc.”
Speaking to the Dispatch yesterday, Debbie Godwin said the suspects gained entry into their house through the roof after removing the roof tiles.
“They crawled inside the ceiling all the way from the upper lounge to the bathroom ceiling.”
Godwin said once they reached the bathroom ceiling, the suspects bashed the ceiling down.
“They then broke the door and window of the bathroom and started breaking down all the doors of the rooms in the house because they were locked.”
Godwin said there is nothing of value left to steal in their house after they were cleaned out of expensive jewellery and digital equipment on February 18.
“After they took all the sentimental stuff in the last robbery, nothing matters anymore. But they created a huge job for me to clean up because they left the place upside down with all the drawers opened and things thrown all over.”
About seven robberies took place in Lower Ridge and Norwood Street in the past two months, bringing the total number of break-ins in the suburb to 11.
More robberies were reported on Beach Road and Woodleigh Street in Nahoon.
The Daily Dispatch has reported on a string of break-ins in the suburb in recent months with some houses being hit twice. Owners of East London International Convention Centre Sam Nassimov and wife Nola also fell victim to the criminals twice. A Sheerness Road family were cleaned out at the beginning of this month. Former Clarendon headmaster Owen Nel’s Norwood Avenue home has also been burgled twice by the thieves with the taste for expensive jewellery.
In a statement to the Dispatch yesterday, Cambridge police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said the police have set up a task team to specifically tackle burglaries in and around Bonnie Doone and surrounding areas.
“We are also working closely with security companies operating in these areas. Our efforts are bearing fruits as we have seen a drop in this type of crime in this area.”
However, Mbi could not supply the Dispatch with statistics to back up the claims. He also dismissed reports that a syndicate was operating in the area.
“We cannot at this stage conclude this as the work of the syndicate as our investigations are still ongoing.” — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
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