The case in which a Sunward Park man is accused of brutally stabbing a female Uber driver and trying to drive over her with her own car on December 26 last year, drew a large crowd comprising members of the media and supporters of an advocacy group, to the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court today (January 24).
The accused, Jacques Henry Scharneck (29), was on parole for a rape conviction at the time of the attack. He is facing a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances and two charges of attempted murder.
He was arrested for the attack on December 27 and at his first appearance in the Boksburg District Court, bail was denied and he was remanded in custody.
Today was his first appearance in the Boksburg Regional Court and saw him shuffle into the courtroom in leg irons, wearing jeans and a khaki jacket. His head was clean-shaven.
He is accused of stabbing the Uber driver, whom we will only identify as Busi (42), three times after she picked him up in Reiger Park on Boxing Day some time after 10pm.
Scharneck is said to have asked Busi to take him to Sandton but en route through Sunward Park, in Lied Road, at around 10.25pm, he pulled out a knife and forced Busi to stop the car.
It is alleged he tried to steal Busi’s cellphone and then stabbed her in the head, back and throat.
He is further accused of stealing her car and trying to drive over her with the car.
Busi somehow managed to seek help at a nearby house. The family pressed the panic button to alert their security company and an unconscious Busi was then taken to hospital.
According to Boksburg Police spokesperson Sergeant Cebisa Maseko, police initially opened a hijacking case when the incident was reported.
“The blue Hyundai Elantra, which belonged to the female Uber driver, was recovered hours after the incident in Cason Road, Boksburg North, with the suspect in it. He was arrested,” Maseko said.
The case was postponed to February 27 for further investigation and Scharneck was remanded in custody.
The advocacy group, The Movement, was present at court not only to campaign and create awareness of the many attacks on Uber and Taxify drivers, but to highlight this case in particular in which a mother of two nearly lost her life.
Co-founder Teresa Munchick expressed the group’s unhappiness at the postponement and said much more needed to be done to protect the lives of the drivers.
“It is our understanding that Scharneck initially pleaded guilty but then changed his plea after talking to Legal Aid.
“What more is there to investigate? We need justice for Busi!
“There have been hundreds of attacks on drivers and in many of them the drivers have been brutally attacked and left for dead.
“What are the police doing? We want to see all the cases centralised and action taken to stop these attacks,” she said.
Busi told the media she had been an Uber driver since 2015 and had never felt unsafe before.
“I enjoyed my job. Now I can’t work because I am still too weak from the attack,” she said.
She said that since the attack she feels angry with men, particularly coloured men, whom she now sees as “monsters”.
“I believe they have no respect for women,” Busi said.
Her injuries have left her physically weak and she said she is mainly battling with her breathing.
“If he wanted to steal my car, why didn’t he just take it? Why did he have to try to kill me?”
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