KZN estate agent Dorothy Carlyle, who was kidnapped and tortured, can finally have closure after her three assailants were jailed.
|||Durban - It has been almost a year since Durban estate agent Dorothy Carlyle was kidnapped, assaulted and left for dead in the boot of a car.
Despite her ordeal, Carlyle is counting her blessings, especially her supportive family and good health.
She has no plans to leave South Africa, she says - it’s where she grew up.
On Monday, her kidnappers Sthembiso Ntombela, Lindokuhle Dlamini and Smiso Ximba, were handed an accumulative sentence of 135 years by Durban Regional Court magistrate, Anand Maharaj.
“I’m so glad it’s all over,” Carlyle said on Tuesday.
She celebrated the news with friends and family on Monday evening.
Asked about her initial response on hearing that Dlamini had received 30 years, Ntombela 45 years and Ximba 60 years for armed robbery, attempted rape and kidnapping, Carlyle said she was “shocked”.
“When I heard 15 years I thought that was in all, not for each count. I didn’t expect the sentence to be such long terms, but I am pleased. The sentence fits the crime.”
She said magistrate Maharaj was unimpressed by the recent crime statistics and the belief by criminals that they would get light sentences.
“They (the accused) were also very shocked. They thought they’d get off or get a few years. They looked around at their girlfriends in shock. They were just flabbergasted.”
In the year since she was kidnapped outside her Durban North home in October, and kept in the boot of a silver BMW while her kidnappers went on a joyride, Carlyle has become more cautious.
“It makes you a lot more vigilant. You never think it will happen to you, it’s something that happens to other people.
“Now when I come home I don’t leave the gate open. It’s a sorry way to live, but everybody in South Africa has to.”
She had not been a victim of crime before her kidnapping, she said.
“I’ve been here since 1974 and have never experienced crime. I’ve never been held up or even had an attempted burglary. These guys were opportunists and I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Carlyle did not attend the full trial, but testified and was present for the sentencing.
Two girls, both minors, were originally charged with the crimes, but these were withdrawn when they agreed to testify as witnesses.
“Apparently in the girls’ statement, which I didn’t hear, they (the men) thought I was dead when they strangled me with the scarf. They asked where they could drop off the corpse.”
Asked whether she feels satisfied the girls were not prosecuted, Carlyle said they were young girls, clearly influenced by men with money and got caught up in something more serious than they first realised.
“They were impressionable, but were no way involved in what happened. They were having a good time and the severity of what these guys were doing hit them.”
Carlyle said that according to the magistrate, the men had shown no remorse and, instead of merely robbing her of her valuables, they had tortured her as well.
“The weren’t just in it for the car and money. They were in it to kill. These are violent guys. The magistrate said he thought I’d been selected by chance the same as the lady (Meena Parbulall) who was almost abducted outside her home.”
Constable Zanele Nene was praised by both Maharaj and Carlyle, who described her police work as “excellent”.
“She was tenacious and got all three. The first suspect was arrested at the scene and the second the next day, but the worst (Ximba) was only caught in February.”
Carlyle said that as well as being more vigilant, she had resumed her life and was back at work a month after the ordeal.
“Two of my daughters are in South Africa but my two other children are in England. They tried to persuade me to return to England. I might when I retire. But I grew up here.”
She said her children had intended to return to South Africa but not any more.
“They won’t expose their kids to the violence.
“After the incident, I had counselling. When it’s fresh in your memory it’s a lot worse. I’ve been through a lot in life but I have my health and my family.”
lauren.anthony@inl.co.za
Daily News