Traumatic tale of how Boksburg granny (65) fought hijacker
Yssel believes however, that Foley should have been jailed longer.
Local pensioner Susanna Yssel (65) talked to the Advertiser about the traumatic day her car (Suzuki bakkie) was hijacked in broad daylight.
But what bothers her the most, is that bystanders didn’t believe she was being hijacked because the perpetrator was a white male.
“No one bothered to help; most bystanders and guards thought I was fighting with my son,” said Yssel.
She had just bought an electricity from Checkers in North Rand Road, when the incident occurred in the parking lot.
It was on the March 21 public holiday and there weren’t many people around.
“When I arrived at my car, I opened the driver’s door and leaned over, to put my bag on the floor of the passenger’s side.
“I still had the keys in my hand at the time and I was about to sit and put the car in ignition, when I heard someone behind me saying: ‘excuse me ma’am,” said Yssel.
She could tell right there and then, that something was amiss.
Gregory Foley (42), who’s since been convicted and sentenced for this crime, grabbed Yssel from the back and forcefully took the car keys from her hands.
“I took a chance and said to myself: ‘oh boy, I’m fighting you’,” said Yssel. “He’s skinny but very strong.”
Despite her age and the fact that Yssel suffers from a painful knee, she managed to put up a good fight.
The tussle ensued, but he eventually overpowered her.
“I managed to grab a small bag that was hanging from his shoulder and it dropped – he also had Suzuki car keys in his hands, which I managed to grab thinking that they were mine,” said the pensioner.
Foley jumped into the bakkie, started it and drove towards the exit – but the guards at the exit shut the gate before he could get away.
He then reversed and went to another exit and when the guards there shut that too, he hit and knocked the gate down, before driving away.
Yssel sustained bruises on her leg and hands – the tussle also elevated her knee pain.
Foley drove away with her bag containing her money and personal belongings.
“I’m still traumatised by what happened and even to this day, I still feel a hissing sound in my ears,” Yssel said.
After the incident, bystanders didn’t want to believe her side of story – to the extent some thought: “I was his mother and that we were just acting, so we could claim from insurance”.
“The police were called to the scene and when they arrived, I remembered the bag Foley dropped – which contained helpful documents that led to his arrest and recovery of the car.
“The bag also contained papers which had nine different car vin numbers and licence renewal documents.”
The car was recovered the following day in Elsberg; and Yssel said it looked as if it was being driven at a mine.
The car was also left with damages running into thousands of rands.
Foley was sentenced to nine years in prison in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on November 15, of which two were suspended for five years.
Yssel believes however, that Foley should have been jailed longer.
Yssel thanked Boksburg North W/O Det O’Neill for the extra mile he went, in solving the case.
“On behalf of the Yssel and Mathhysen families, I would like to thank him for working promptly and to the best of his ability.
“I think he needs to be promoted, because of his excellence.”
