Montclair gardener savagely stabbed by gang of armed robbers

A Montclair gardener, who was busy working alone on a property,  was savagely stabbed by a gang of armed robbers this morning.

Blue Security community and media liaison officer Andreas Mathios said the gardener, who had been repeatedly stabbed during the attack, managed to flag down an armed response vehicle that was patrolling the neighbourhood at the time. The incident occurred at around 9.40am.

“A gang of three suspects armed with knives gained entry into the property and broke into an outbuilding. They accosted the gardener who was working alone on the premises at the time and stabbed him repeatedly. Our officers immediately stopped to assist the gardener, who had sustained multiple stab wounds to his chest and lower body,” Mathios said.

Mathios said the officers flagged down a provincial ambulance that was driving through the area. “The provincial paramedics assisted the victim and transported him to hospital for further medical attention. It is unclear at this stage whether the suspects stole anything from the premises.” he said. SAPS were alerted to the scene of the crime.

Mathios advised home owners to regularly brief domestic staff on security procedures and to ensure that they have access to a panic button or a remote panic button, especially when they are working at home alone. “We strongly advise home owners to take the time to regularly speak to domestic staff about home security and to point out the panic buttons in the house so that they will know exactly what to do in an emergency. Ensure that your staff have emergency numbers for an ambulance and your security firm saved on their cellphones and also keep these numbers readily available in an easy to access place in the home,” he said.

“Domestic workers also need to be vigilant when stepping outside to hang up washing as we have had cases where suspects have been lying in wait to ambush domestic workers the moment they go outside. It’s also important to remind domestic workers to keep security gates and doors locked when they are working in the house during the day,” he said.