Attack victim in coma dies

JON HOUZET

AN 86-year-old woman who was in a coma after being assaulted in her home in Kenton-on-Sea has died, and the charge against her alleged attackers has escalated to murder.

Resident Ray Holcroft informed TotT of the death of Annette Southey, who we reported on in our June 14 edition.

The elderly woman lived alone in a house on Kariega Road, and was allegedly attacked by two youths who had visited her home earlier and stolen the key to her security gate.

She sustained injuries to the front and back of her head and was in a coma in a Port Elizabeth hospital until her death last weekend.

Port Alfred station commander Colonel Lizette Zeelie confirmed Southey had died and "the charges have now changed to murder”.

The suspects, aged 13 and 15, are still in their parents' care, said Zeelie.

They are due to appear in the Kenton-on-Sea Magistrate's Court tomorrow (Friday).

Another Kenton resident, Phillipa Tinley, said: "We in Kenton are angry and upset about this.”

Tinley hoped to rally fellow residents of the village to protest with placards outside the court from about 9.30am tomorrow.