Three men from Tembisa were remanded in custody awaiting trial by the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court for cable theft.
The accused are alleged to have committed the crime with four others who evaded arrest.
The men appeared in court after all three were treated at a hospital under police guard for injuries sustained during the incident on 13 November last year at the Sandton Power Substation.
A security guard and technician on routine patrol at 11pm, forcibly opened a door into the substation which was wired shut from the inside and blocked with other objects.
Upon entering, the guard saw the three accused climbing up the pipe shafts. The guard ordered them to stop, but the suspects continued to climb. The guard called for back-up and all the all exit points were blocked. The accused then fell down the shafts and were injured.
Ambulances took the suspects to a nearby hospital for treatment before their court appearance.
Bundles of rolled cable wire worth R15 000 were found at the scene.
Their accomplices are wanted by the police.
The case continues.
