‘Gardener’ attacks Centurion couple, robs them, locks them up and flees

Police are searching for a gardener who allegedly attacked his two employers at their Laudium home on Sunday afternoon, reports the Centurion Rekord.

The gardener assaulted and throttled a woman at her residence in Kathmandu Street, said Laudium police spokesperson Constable Simon Chokoe.

He later assaulted the woman’s husband with a shovel when he tried to defend his wife.

“The husband had heard the wife screaming and ran to help her,” said Chokoe. “The suspect robbed them of an undisclosed amount of money. He fled the scene on foot.”

The attack happened at around 1pm, according to Prajay Ramjee of PAJ Patrollers.

“The man broke the husband’s arm in three places after he hit him with the shovel,” said Ramjee.

“Before fleeing the scene the suspect found his employee file, which contained a copy of his ID document. He took this with him when he left, making it difficult to identify him.”

The man had worked for the couple for about seven years, said Ramjee.

Ramjee said both victims were locked up in different rooms of the house by their attacker.

“The husband was taken to a nearby hospital after the woman managed to alert passers-by,” he said.

Police have called on the community to come forward if they have any information that might lead to the robber’s arrest.

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