Daily Sun (June 13 2013) - THE THUG crept across the dark yard with a wheelbarrow packed with stolen tools. But he woke a boy in the house, who confronted him and grabbed a spade from the wheelbarrow. CHOP - THE THIEF'S FINGER CAME OFF! THEN CHOP - HIS WHOLE HAND!
But that wasn't the end of his punishment. Residents gathered round and beat and stoned him! The unfortunate thief is now in hospital in Bloemfontein, where he will face court when he recovers from his injuries.
It happened on Monday night in Zamdela, near Sasolburg in the Free State, when the family was asleep. A man in his 30s forced his way into their yard and loaded a wheelbarrow with a spade and a toolbox with hammers and screwdrivers, and a bicycle.
But the 23-year-old son of the house woke up when the man tried to break open a door. The son called his father and mother and approached the thug. Daily Sun was told by cops that the son pulled a spade from the barrow and went straight up to the man, and chopped off his finger and hand!
But according to the son, he only attacked the man because the man tried to stab him with a knife. Local police spokesman Constable Peter Kareli told Daily Sun that cops were alerted to street justice happening at the house. "On our arrival, the man was already being beaten with sjamboks, bricks, stones and sticks.
"He was lying down and one resident had the man's chopped finger in a plastic bag. His hand was hanging by a thin piece of skin, and an ambulance was called," said Kareli. "At the hospital doctors had to cut the hand off completely as it was about to fall off," said Kareli. "As soon as he gets discharged we'll lock him up. He is facing two counts of housebreaking and theft. Kareli said they would also be interviewing the young man who did the chopping.