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Man escapes angry mob and ends up in the jaws of police dog

A MAN suspected of being an accomplice in a sexual assault case ran straight into the jaws of a police patrol dog in an effort to escape a beating by an angry mob.

The incident happened at Amandawe, near Scottburgh, on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.

Police spokesperson Captain Vincent Pandarum said a 19-year-old Grade 12 pupil was at home with her sister when she was allegedly sexually assaulted by a 29-year-old relative, who lives close by.

"It is alleged that the girl and her sister were asleep when a cousin, who lives with them, arrived with the relative who wanted to sleep over.

"But the girl refused to let him stay. He begged her to allow the visitor to stay and he lay down on the bed next to her," Pandarum said.

He said the relative later sexually assaulted the girl, prompting the sisters to kick him out of the house. They also alerted the police.

Pandarum said the girls' aunt, who lived in an adjacent building, came and attacked the girls' cousin, who was still in the bedroom.

"It is alleged that other people from the homestead joined in and in his haste to avoid being attacked by the mob he sought refuge in a police car that had arrived on the scene.

"Inspector Jason Reddy and Constable Siya Mthembu of the Umkomaas dog unit had responded to a complaint that the house was under attack.

"They had already alighted from the car and were busy checking the premises when the man ran past them straight to their car.

"He opened the rear door to get in and got a nasty surprise," Pandarum said.

He said Bruno, Reddy's patrol dog, bit the man in the left thigh. Fortunately Reddy came to his rescue and called Bruno off.

Pandarum said the man was detained as an alleged accomplice in a sexual assault case.

"The man who allegedly sexually assaulted the girl is known and will be arrested soon," he said.

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