The museum’s glass door was smashed when someone tried to get inside, which then triggered the alarm, he explained. The suspect apparently then tried to run away, and climbed into a tree between the museum and Selborne College.
“We are not sure whether he slipped or if he was trying to jump over to Selborne College, but he ended up impaled on the fence.”
The man’s screams were heard by a tow truck driver nearby. The driver went to investigate, and when he saw the would-be thief impaled on the fence he called the police.
“I received a call from Red Alert security and immediately rushed to the scene,” said Botha. “When I arrived on the scene the man was screaming.”
Botha said the fire department had to be called in to use angle grinders to cut the steel spike from the fence so that they could remove him off the fence. Botha said the spike measured some 30cm long. Police spokesperson Stephen Marais confirmed that the man, in his early 20s, was under arrest while in hospital, and that the steel spike had been removed.
“We have a policeman guarding him until he is ready to face charges.”
He said the suspect would face charges of house-breaking and would appear in court as soon as he was fit enough to face trial. Acting Frere Hospital manager Dr Zukiswa Jafta confirmed that the man was brought in at about 3am.
“The steel spike damaged the rectum and the intestines,” she said, adding that he was operated on, and a colostomy bag was inserted for immediate relief. Jafta said the man was in a stable condition.
Last year the East London Museum was targeted by vandals and thieves who stole copper pipes four times in two weeks. Botha said nothing had been taken this time, and only the glass door had been smashed.
“We are not sure whether he slipped or if he was trying to jump over to Selborne College, but he ended up impaled on the fence.”
The man’s screams were heard by a tow truck driver nearby. The driver went to investigate, and when he saw the would-be thief impaled on the fence he called the police.
“I received a call from Red Alert security and immediately rushed to the scene,” said Botha. “When I arrived on the scene the man was screaming.”
Botha said the fire department had to be called in to use angle grinders to cut the steel spike from the fence so that they could remove him off the fence. Botha said the spike measured some 30cm long. Police spokesperson Stephen Marais confirmed that the man, in his early 20s, was under arrest while in hospital, and that the steel spike had been removed.
“We have a policeman guarding him until he is ready to face charges.”
He said the suspect would face charges of house-breaking and would appear in court as soon as he was fit enough to face trial. Acting Frere Hospital manager Dr Zukiswa Jafta confirmed that the man was brought in at about 3am.
“The steel spike damaged the rectum and the intestines,” she said, adding that he was operated on, and a colostomy bag was inserted for immediate relief. Jafta said the man was in a stable condition.
Last year the East London Museum was targeted by vandals and thieves who stole copper pipes four times in two weeks. Botha said nothing had been taken this time, and only the glass door had been smashed.
No comments:
Post a Comment