Peace is restored in a seaside village after a resident who went on the rampage last week was arrested in a three-hour police operation that included a negotiator and fire-engine.
Gavin Weyer covered his walls and windows with painted messages and signs, and allegedly set fire to his double-storey Sunrise-on-Sea seaside home in November last year, threw an acidic substance at two men, lobbed rocks at two cars at least and tossed beer bottles and red and white paint onto the streets outside his home on Thursday evening.
Neighbour Nadege Rankin described the episode as “nightmarish” and became so terrified when Weyer “stood in the road and waved his chainsaw about” that she and her daughter fled their home in their pyjamas.
Following Thursday night’s furore, three charges – two of assault and one of malicious damage to property – were opened at the Gonubie police station.
She said early on Saturday morning Weyer was again painting words, this time on the windows of his partially gutted home.
Police spokeswoman Hazel Mqala said Weyer was arrested on Saturday afternoon and spent the night at Cecilia Makiwane hospital for observation. She was unable to confirm how many officers were on the scene, but said a police negotiator was called in when Weyer clambered onto his roof. “Police went there because it was alleged he is mentally disturbed.”
Mqala said Weyer appeared in court yesterday morning where his case was remanded.
He is being held at the East London Correctional Services Centre in West Bank.
Rankin – who lives directly across the road from Weyer, whose elderly father died a few days after the fire that Weyer allegedly set himself – said his arrest was “traumatic and emotional” but that police had been sensitive to the situation.
“At first four officers and two detectives arrived but Gavin ran away and holed up upstairs and they followed him in.”
Rankin said Weyer climbed out of a window and onto the roof and shouted at police that they were on private property. “He was asking why they were arresting him on a Saturday because that was his day of rest and saying they should come back on Monday.
“He was ranting and raving that people had set his house on fire. Then he disappeared back inside.”
Rankin said by this time a police negotiator and a fire-engine had arrived, and the negotiator finally persuaded him to emerge.
Sunrise-on-Sea community police forum chairman Johan Oelofse said the arrest was “like a siege” but the village was now peaceful.
“Now everything is nice and quiet, like it used to be.
“Gavin used to be a harmless oke, but then he got paranoid and started saying the hadedas had cameras strapped to them.
“The sooner he gets help the better,” said Oelofse.
However, neighbour Aubrey McGarry said the arrest involved an inappropriate “show of force”, and he also accused residents of taunting Weyer in the weeks leading up to Thursday’s episode, saying it “pushed him over the edge”. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Peace is restored in Sunrise-on-Sea
Gavin Weyer covered his walls and windows with painted messages and signs, and allegedly set fire to his double-storey Sunrise-on-Sea seaside home in November last year, threw an acidic substance at two men, lobbed rocks at two cars at least and tossed beer bottles and red and white paint onto the streets outside his home on Thursday evening.
Neighbour Nadege Rankin described the episode as “nightmarish” and became so terrified when Weyer “stood in the road and waved his chainsaw about” that she and her daughter fled their home in their pyjamas.
Following Thursday night’s furore, three charges – two of assault and one of malicious damage to property – were opened at the Gonubie police station.
She said early on Saturday morning Weyer was again painting words, this time on the windows of his partially gutted home.
Police spokeswoman Hazel Mqala said Weyer was arrested on Saturday afternoon and spent the night at Cecilia Makiwane hospital for observation. She was unable to confirm how many officers were on the scene, but said a police negotiator was called in when Weyer clambered onto his roof. “Police went there because it was alleged he is mentally disturbed.”
Mqala said Weyer appeared in court yesterday morning where his case was remanded.
He is being held at the East London Correctional Services Centre in West Bank.
Rankin – who lives directly across the road from Weyer, whose elderly father died a few days after the fire that Weyer allegedly set himself – said his arrest was “traumatic and emotional” but that police had been sensitive to the situation.
“At first four officers and two detectives arrived but Gavin ran away and holed up upstairs and they followed him in.”
Rankin said Weyer climbed out of a window and onto the roof and shouted at police that they were on private property. “He was asking why they were arresting him on a Saturday because that was his day of rest and saying they should come back on Monday.
“He was ranting and raving that people had set his house on fire. Then he disappeared back inside.”
Rankin said by this time a police negotiator and a fire-engine had arrived, and the negotiator finally persuaded him to emerge.
Sunrise-on-Sea community police forum chairman Johan Oelofse said the arrest was “like a siege” but the village was now peaceful.
“Now everything is nice and quiet, like it used to be.
“Gavin used to be a harmless oke, but then he got paranoid and started saying the hadedas had cameras strapped to them.
“The sooner he gets help the better,” said Oelofse.
However, neighbour Aubrey McGarry said the arrest involved an inappropriate “show of force”, and he also accused residents of taunting Weyer in the weeks leading up to Thursday’s episode, saying it “pushed him over the edge”. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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