Man stabbed in Japanese Gardens robbery
This is the tenth armed robbery at the gardens since March last year.
A MAN was lucky to escape with his life after he was brutally attacked and then stabbed in yet another armed robbery at Durban North’s Japanese Gardens. The incident occurred at about 5pm on Wednesday evening. This is the tenth armed robbery at the gardens since March last year.
It’s believed the man was having a romantic picnic with his girlfriend near the pond at the bottom of the gardens when he was attacked.
“The couple spotted a man walking towards them. As the suspect got closer he pulled out a knife and demanded their valuables. The man handed over his wallet and cell phone. The suspect then began repeatedly punching the victim in the face, then stabbed the man in the chest before running off in the direction of Waterkant Road,” said Lt Raymond Deokaran, spokesman for the Durban North SAPS.
“Luckily the man survived the attack and was released from hospital a few hours later.”
Doekaran added all of the previous robberies were committed by knife-wielding men. This seems to be the common modus operandi, despite a number of previous arrests.
“We have arrested six people since last year who were linked to a number of cases at the gardens, however, it seems this may have been an opportunistic criminal. I urge residents and visitors going to the gardens to stick to the more populated areas.”
Deokaran added the Durban North SAPS would be increasing patrols in the area to help combat the armed muggings.
In the worst case at the gardens, dubbed as a ‘pleasant park’ by the eThekwini Municipality last year, a medical student was stabbed and bitten when she refused to hand over her phone to a group of armed men.
The brutal robbery follows the assault and stabbing of two people at the Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve on Monday (12 January).
