Farmer beaten, tied up in another farm robbery in Hartbeespoort

Allan Raynor Neil Fanner, who farms with cattle and green peppers on his Hartbeesfontein farm, was attacked at around 7am on Friday when he went outside to collect garbage bags, reports the Kormorant.

“Two suspects, wielding a knife and a piece of wood, grabbed him, tied his hands and feet and pushed him into the bushes in the garden,” said Romano van der Spuy, chairman of the Hartbeespoort community policing forum.

Fanner’s wife was still in bed inside the house.

“The two attackers went inside the house and came out again, grabbed Fanner and forced him back into the house. They demanded firearms and cash. When the victim told them he did not possess firearms, they tied him to the bed where his wife was lying. He was hit over the head with a knobkerrie and the suspects ransacked the house.”

The robbers took two laptops and three cellphones and cut Fanner loose from the bed.

“He managed to press a panic button and alert their security company, which responded immediately. The robbers fled when the security vehicle approached , escaping over an electric fence,” Van der Spuy said.

One of the cellphones was later recovered at the fence.

“According to the victim the attackers spoke English.”

The farmer sustained head injuries and was taken for medical care. The Hartbeespoort and Brits police cluster’s K9 unit and detectives were on the scene soon thereafter.

The police were searching for the attackers.