Durban North woman fights off thief with a single blow
When a brazen thug reached into her vehicle at a robot, Durban North resident Lesley Ann Bryce thwarted his efforts with a single punch to the face.
AN opportunistic thief got more than he bargained for when he recently tried to rob Durban North resident, Lesley Ann Bryce, of her cell phone. When the brazen thug reached into her vehicle at a robot in Phoenix she thwarted his efforts with a single punch to the face, she told the Northglen News on Wednesday last week.
The 50-year-old was on her way to work when the incident occurred last Tuesday. At around 2pm she stopped at a robot near the Bester Informal Settlement with her windows wound down due to the day’s heat. He struck when she picked up her cell phone to place it in the small compartment on the car’s dashboard.
Bryce suspects that the man must have been watching her, as she was caught completely unaware. “The next thing I knew I felt something bump me on the right shoulder, and within a split second I spotted his hand grabbing for the phone in my left hand. I just automatically responded by bopping him in the face with the my right hand, which had been on the steering wheel. I doubt that he expected that as he just stumbled away,” she said.
Cheers of approval roared from two witnesses in the vehicle next to her, but Bryce said she would not encourage her fellow community members to follow her example. “I was not scared when the incident took place, but after I drove off it really hit me. I realised how dangerous it was and how different things could have played out if he had a knife or a gun. We actually should not fight back, as our lives are not worth the risk,” she added.
According to Bryce the man was casually dressed, and although he was not wearing any shoes she does not believe that he was a vagrant.
The resident said despite her ordeal she does not feel unsafe in her own community or driving to work. “I understand the elements of crime, and I do believe that he was an opportunistic thief. Crime happens on a daily basis, and it can happen anywhere at any time. We as residents sometimes make ourselves vulnerable and we need to take the initiative to avoid being targeted,”she said.
