PUB-GOER ARRESTED AFTER OBZ BARMAN MURDERED By reporter Caryn Dolley - Cape Times, Tues June 1, 2010
A pub patron is in police custody on suspicion of murdering an Observatory barman who had accompanied him to an ATM where he was supposed to withdraw money to pay his R1 200 tab. Jonathan Atherstone, 24, who worked at the Obviously Armchair Backpackers and Pub, was stabbed several times early yesterday in Woodstock and died at the scene. His suspected killer, 29, was arrested shortly afterwards and police said he still had a knife, believed to be the murder weapon, in his pocket. Yesterday Woodstock councillor Paddy Chapel said the man had been at Obviouzly Armchair for hours on Saturday and had asked if he could pay the tab when he left. Atherstone had apparently agreed to this and had kept a copy of the man’s identity papers. “When he tried to leave (Atherstone) stopped him, then agreed to go to an ATM with him. The tab was R1200, Chapel said. Atherstone had been heard saying the man was a lecturer and he felt comfortable accompanying him. They left by sedan taxi. Police spokesman Pierre van der Reel (sic) said Atherstone had first gone with the man to an ATM in Observatory. “Something was wrong with the card so they went to another ATM (in Woodstock). There was a problem with the card there too. “The two may have started arguing and the man stabbed the barman before running away,” he said. Witnesses told police what the man looked like and they caught him nearby. Van der Reel (sic) said there had been a surveillance camera in the pub, the “Cyclops” CCTV camera which should have recorded the incident had not been working. Chapel said when the man was arrested his trousers had been soaked with blood. He said the man, from Zimbabwe, had been in the country illegally as the documents allowing him to be in SA had expired two years ago. Chapel said Atherstone, whose father was dead and whose mother lived in the US, had worked at the Obviouzly Armchair Backpackers and Pub since the start of the year. Chapel said yesterday all the pubs in Lower Main Road had been closed out of respect for Atherstone. A wake was held for him last night at Obviouzly Armchair. He is at least the fourth young person to be murdered in the Woodstock area this year. At the end of April, 21-year-old Dane van Zyl was stabbed during a house robbery in Woodstock. In February, 21-year-old Dominic Giddy was stabbed in the chest while walking with two friends in Observatory. The month before, 24-year-old Masoa Pheello was shot in Woodstock in an attempted street robbery. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I wanted to type out this press report (Cape Times, 1 June 2010) out of respect for victim Jonathan Atherstone and also to warn others in Observatory who might want to be as trusting as he was. Sadly such trust in South Africa, in these times, can all too easily cost a life..... -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en
