Leslie Orchard, 79, is a big, jovial man with a colourful history. However, when he fell prey to an armed robbery on Thursday (8 December) he realised he had to stay calm and find some way out of the situation – even if it meant physically fighting off the three armed robbers.
On the day prior to the incident two well-dressed men arrived at his door with a parcel claiming they were from a courier company. The parcel was addressed to his wife Lorraine and the paperwork seemed legitimate. The only problem was that there were two acceptance receipts for two parcels from two different courier companies. He asked them where the second parcel was and they said they forgot to bring it. Orchard told them to rather come back the next day with both parcels.
The next day the two men in their white Chevy bakkie were back with both parcels. As Orchard was about to sign for them, a third man appeared out of the blue. All three men pulled out revolvers and ordered him back into his house. They told him to sit down but he refused, thinking he had more of a fighting chance standing than sitting, telling them that he was an old man and no threat.
Two of the suspects went off to ransack the house while the third remained with him all the time while pointing his firearm at the pensioner’s head. The man asked him if he had a domestic worker, but not wanting to endanger her he lied and said no, praying that she was hiding or was somewhere on his massive property where the robbers would not find her. With the cocked revolver still pointing to his head the suspect then wanted to know if he had a wife. He told him yes, but that she was at work. At that moment one of the other robbers shouted from downstairs that he had found the safe.
Orchard told them he could not open the safe and they demanded he called his wife to come and open it. Orchard considered charging the suspect and pushing him down the stairs, hoping he would injure the criminal or manage to take his firearm from him. The suspect then said he wanted the keys to three of the luxury vehicles on the property, but Orchard told them the keys were not at home. It was clear that the robbers knew exactly what make of vehicles were on the property. As he was about to charge the gun-wielding man, another suspect returned and he realised he lost his opportunity.
With the gun pointed behind his ear the suspect ordered him down the stairs, closely following him. As they were walking down the stairs the robber tripped and pushed the revolver past Orchard’s face. Orchard grabbed his arm and threw him over his shoulders. He did not manage to get hold of the firearm as the other two suspects came to see what the commotion was about. They then charged him and he fled towards a gate that leads to a courtyard and the pool in the back of the property. One of the suspects tried to push his hand holding the revolver in between the gates but Orchard slammed his hand. Orchard realised he had nowhere to flee to.
At that moment his domestic worker appeared to enquire what was going on and he shouted at her to hide because there were robbers in the house. In a final attempt to save their lives Orchard shouted at the top of his voice, which attracted the attention of numerous neighbours who selflessly rushed to his aid.
The three robbers managed to flee and the police were called. According to Orchard they were there in minutes. Before confiscating the parcels they first brought sniffer dogs to determine whether they contained explosives.
Afterwards Orchard noticed on the list of addresses where ‘deliveries’ were supposed to be made the names of neighbours in his street, which meant that should the robbers not be successful at one address they would probably go to the next address on their list.
“As they fled they shouted that they would come back for me. They must come. I will be ready for them. I will shoot them dead,” concluded the 105kg, 6’2″ tall Orchard.
The police have warned that residents should not give access to people with parcels if they are not expecting any since this has now become a common way of gaining access for criminals.
Also Read:
What to do in an armed robbery or hostage situation
Three wanted for armed robbery
Another armed robbery in Witpoortjie
