In a cruel twist of fate, Jonno Bayman, the man who was attacked while unselfishly trying to help save a stray dog on Jakes Gerwal Drive at the beginning of April, fell victim to another atrocious act of crime when his girlfriend was held hostage last week.
Kayleigh Lockdem arrived at her home in Kenilworth Park a week ago after walking her dog (the same dog that her fiancé risked his life saving three weeks ago on the highway), not realising that her life was about to be turned upside down, and that she would have to part with her most prized sentimental possession.
On April 15 at 8pm, Lockdem arrived home late from work and decided to take her dog Gracie for a quick walk. Fifteen minutes later she arrived back home and noticed scratch marks on the front gate. It looked as though a tool had been used to try and pry the gate open, but she brushed it off thinking her fiancé had lost his keys.
As she stepped into the house, Gracie began to growl, Lockdem caught a glimpse of a man and stepped back. For a second she assumed it was a friend of her fiancé’s trying to prank her so she called out,”Hey, what are you doing?” The man immediately jumped at her, she struggled to try and reach the gate but he caught her by her jacket.
The intruder threatened her with a large screwdriver and forced her to keep her eyes low. He had his face covered with a piece of material.
“He held the screwdriver to my neck and asked where the money was. I told him we don’t keep money in the house. He pushed me into the main bedroom, all my cupboard doors had been opened and rifled through. He then asked me to give him my engagement ring. It broke my heart, this is a ring that was passed down to me from my mother and has the most sentimental value to me,” said Lockdem.
She was forced to stay in the bedroom lying face down on the bed and warned to keep her eyes closed. Gracie growled from the bedroom door but was no match for the intruder.
“I knew she stood no chance against him and begged that he not hurt her. I know Jonno [her fiancé] would be home soon and I was so scared he would be stabbed or killed,” said Lockdem.
While she lay on the bed she could hear the intruder rummaging through the house. At one point it even sounded like the man was whispering to an accomplice, but Lockdem only ever saw one attacker.
“After a few minutes I heard the front gate lock and I mustered all the courage I had to get up and run for my work phone which, by some miracle, they hadn’t taken. I ran back to my bedroom and locked myself in with Gracie. I have no personal contact numbers on this phone so sent a voice message to my colleagues to call SAPS for help with my address.
“I managed to call Jonno who notified the neighbourhood watch. Everything after that is a blur, ” she said.
Lockdem made a plea on Facebook for anyone who comes across the stolen ring to please return it to her.
The ring is 32 years old and is set in a fine yellow gold band with a dark blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds in a flower shape.
“I am asking everyone to share these images far and wide. If seen in second-hand markets, pawn shops, or even if someone tries to sell this to you on the street to please report this to me or Sergeant Abrams of Wynberg SAPS on +27 72 561 2261 asap. Thank you for your support. You will never fully know how much this means to us,” said Lockdem.
A R1 000 is being offered as a reward.
Pictures: Supplied