Court clerk’s cellphone thief collared

A WOMAN who said she needed to apply for a protection order at the Wentworth court building turned out to be a slick cell phone thief, after she stole one off the desk of a clerk at the office on Friday 26 August.

The clerk, whose cellphone was on her desk, was disrupted by a woman who inquired about a protection order. She was told to wait outside in the foyer until someone could assist her. When the clerk closed her door and went to another office, the woman allegedly went into the office, spending a few minutes inside before she left.

“The woman returned to her office and noticed her cellphone was missing. She noticed the woman she told to wait outside was also gone,” said Wentworth SAPS communications officer, Captain Mbuso Gumede.

Video footage viewed by police showed the same woman pushing the office door open and walking out. She exited through the community service centre downstairs.

Her escape was shortlived when off-duty cop, W/O Ephraim Mavundla spotted her in Durban CBD. He realised it was the same person from the video footage.  When he approached and asked her about the phone, she started running but the officer managed to apprehend and hold her until a police van could transport her back to Wentworth station.