British model tied up and robbed of valuables worth £80,000 by machete-wielding gang in South Africa
British model Sarah MacDonnell was tied up by a machete-wielding gang
during her stay at a luxury villa in Cape Town, South
Africa.
Ms MacDonnell, along with five other Britons, were robbed of £80,000
worth of valuables after three robbers cut through a fence of the holiday home
and forced their way inside her room at Table Mountain’s £870 a-night- Maison
Noir.
The 39-year-old had been in Cape Town for a photo shoot for her London
yoga company Manuka Life.
Her boyfriend, identified only as David, had stepped outside for a
cigarette when three men wearing balaclavas grabbed him from behind, threatened
him with machetes and a screwdriver and forced him inside the villa.
“I was on the loo and one of these guys suddenly appeared right next to
me and put a screwdriver against my throat, then hauled me on to the floor,” Ms
MacDonnell told the Mail on
Sunday.
“David was brought into the bathroom by the other two men and his hands
were tied up with an iPhone cord. It was petrifying.
“One guy started asking me what valuables we had”.
The three men proceeded to tie up Ms MacDonnell, along with four other
employees who did not wish to be named.
The gang then began to “argue amongst themselves” about whether or not
they were going to leave, and one of them took off his balaclava.
“That’s when it got really scary because you think you’re going to get
murdered - or worse”.
However, eventually they decided to leave with cash, cameras, laptops
and phones – amounting to approximately £80,000 worth of goods.
One of the women managed to hide a mobile phone under a blanket and called
Cape Town police, who arrived at the scene.
Maison Noir did not immediately return a request for comment, but Ms
MacDonnell claims the manager told her he felt so safe at the property, he
"doesn't even lock his door".
Cape Town Police did not immediately return a request for comment, but
according to Ms MacDonnell, they “told [the holidaymakers] there was minimal
security at the property”.
The government has advised the
British public to take particular care when travelling to South Africa, as
the country suffers from "a very high level of crime including rape and murder".
No comments
Your comments and Encouragement are welcome