MOSSEL BAY NEWS - "My partner was furious when he saw two of the three burgulars point their guns at my daughter and myself," said Marie Hunlun (44) when she sat down with the Advertiser to tell of their traumatic experience on Sunday night at 19:45.

Like any man would, Frik wanted to protect his family and, with a struggle he managed to get the three burgulars out the flat.
"But that's when I heard a gunshot and ran outside to find Frik on the ground with a gunshot wound to his jaw."

It was a quiet Sunday evening at Oostersee flats in De Bakke, Mossel Bay. Frik Collins was standing outside the flat that he and his partner of four years share with her 19 year old daughter, Liami Holtzhausen.

"Frik was talking on his phone while he was standing outside to get the best signal."

The door and security gate was open while the two ladies were busy inside the flat when, all of a sudden, Frik was forcefully pushed into the room where the ladies were by three armed and unmasked men.

"Frik was shouting a lot and I tried to calm him down and told them to take the stuff that they wanted."

Marie explains that burgulars were aggressive but also seemed unsure of themselves, as if they were caught off guard by the other people being in the flat.
"A number of times they also tried to cock the guns but were unsuccessful."

In the commotion Frik took a gun off one of the bugulars and held him hostage, but its with this that that the other two drew their guns on Marie and Liami.

During the ensuing struggle a shot went off and Frik was shot in the face.

Two of the burglars fled the scene while the one that took a laptop and a cellphone simply strolled off.
Frik was immediately hospitalized, and is currently in a stable condition.

Marie says that they don't feel they were targeted, instead it seemed like a opportunist burglary.
"If our front door was not open, this might not have happened, but what prevents them from knocking the door?"
"Yet I am aware that this is not a very safe area to live in and it not nice to know that criminals can just walk into your home and take over."

Marie says that security company cars patrol the area often, but police vehicles not so often. She also mentioned that if neighbours had phoned the police when they heard the noise, the bugulars might have been caught.

A case of armed robbery is being investigated by Detective SgtJohn Solomons of Da Gamaskop Detectives.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is requested to contact Detective Sgt Solomons on 044 606 2200 or 084 661 1155.

All information will be handled with strict confidentiality and positive information will be well rewarded.


The area where the shooting and burgulary took place.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS: MELISSA HILLS, MOSSEL BAY ADVERTISER JOURNALIST.