Radio DJ feared robbers might shoot him and cut off his finger to get wedding ring

Radio DJ Darren Scott thought he was going to be shot when he was robbed at gunpoint on Thursday evening and that the robbers might cut off his finger to steal his wedding ring.

But he survived the frightening ordeal unharmed and says he was surprised by the “empathy‚ friendliness‚ urgency and efficiency” of the police.“

Trips to police stations are normally seen as dreaded excursions‚ dealing with disinterested staff. This was the complete opposite! The process felt like it took just a few minutes‚ and in the end‚ we were made to feel genuinely cared for‚” Scott wrote on Facebook after he was robbed on the corner of William Nicol Drive and Leslie Avenue in Johannesburg on Thursday at 7.15pm.

“I thought I was going to be shot‚ there and then … It was all I could think of whilst trying to remain calm. That and how my two boys were just a few kilometres up the road waiting for their daddy to get home.”

One of the robbers was armed with a 9mm pistol.

“All I could see was a 9mm in my face‚ with a very twitchy finger on the trigger‚” Scott wrote on Facebook.

The armed robbers became more aggressive as they demanded his ring‚ cellphone‚ laptop and cash.

“All three tried to pull my ring off my finger. It CANNOT come off. My next thought was that they’re going to produce wire-cutters and cut my finger off. I had no cash‚ only a card. How were they going to react if they thought I was lying? My cell was accessible and in view‚ but my laptop was in a satchel (with my wallet with all my cards‚ passport‚ licence etc. inside) under my seat behind me. I wasn’t allowed to say anything to them without being sworn at and told to‚ ‘Shut the f*** up’‚ so trying to explain how I was going to get my bag was pointless.”

Two of the robbers fled after Scott gave them his satchel‚ while the armed robber pushed the pistol harder against his head before he told him to‚ “Drive off you piece of sh*t”.

Scott was shaking and drove to three Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) cars at an intersection about 100m down the road.

“I ran to them shouting that I had just been robbed at gunpoint. When I got to them‚ I pointed out the intersection just 80 odd metres away ... no reaction‚” Scott wrote.

“They eventually reluctantly ambled to their vehicles and drove off‚ heading off in three different directions without even taking any contact details from me or telling me what I should do.”

Scott said he broke down when he arrived home and saw his sons‚ Mark and Matty.

“Their happy‚ smiling and innocent faces broke me. They live in a world where the hatred and horror of an ordeal like this just doesn’t exist ... They see the good in everyone and everything‚ see no colour‚ and are oblivious to the serious problems this country has and still faces going forward.”

Scott said he had only reported the robbery to the Douglasdale Police Station on Friday after the apathy he had experienced from the JMPD.

“I reluctantly made my way there simply to get the necessary paperwork done. How surprised I was!”

Scott said he was surprised by the “empathy‚ friendliness‚ urgency and efficiency”.

“I was stunned! Tash [Scott’s partner‚ Natasha Laird] and I were welcomed at the door! Once the welcoming lady heard what we were there for‚ her first response was to convince Tash to FORCE me to take counselling‚ and that they would offer this as a complimentary service!”

Scott later received his case number via SMS and the cellphone number of the investigating officer.

“Literally a few minutes after the SMS‚ she called me‚ commiserating with me over my ordeal‚ reminding me of the counselling necessity‚ and assuring me that’s she would do everything in her and her colleagues’ power to investigate and keep me informed of any leads or progress‚ and that I could call her anytime I needed her assistance or advice.”

Scott added: “My trauma aside‚ what damage the JMPD bad apples do to our collective psyche regarding crime in this city‚ this attitude of the amazing people at Douglasdale SAPS should give us hope.”