Exhausted Joneses back in jail

MURDER, kidnapping and armed robbery suspects Ian and Chris Jones are back behind bars.

The two brothers, who triggered an intense Police manhunt when they escaped from holding cells at the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in the city’s Lüderitz Street on Monday, were rearrested in the Fish River Canyon south-west of Keetmanshoop early on Saturday morning. Detective Inspector Michael Booysen from the Police’s Serious Crime Unit confirmed this yesterday.Their arrest brought to an end not only almost five days of freedom in flight for the brothers, but also an epic journey on foot that they appear to have embarked on in a desperate effort to reach the South African border and remain out of reach of the Namibian Police following their escape.According to Booysen, the Joneses had walked about 80 km down the canyon from Tuesday until they were found by a Police team at about 07h00 on Saturday.Police Karas Regional Commander, Deputy Commissioner Joseph Anghuwo, added at Keetmanshoop yesterday that the Joneses had been only about 20 km from the Orange River and the South African border when they were found.They had last been seen at a Keetmanshoop fuel station late on Monday evening, when they managed to shake off a Police officer who had tried to pursue them, firing six shots at their vehicle in the process and hitting one of the rear tyres, Anghuwo related.Booysen said that the green Nissan V6 pick-up that the brothers are alleged to have hijacked from a woman in Windhoek on Monday afternoon, was found about 10 km from Ai-Ais in the Fish River canyon on Friday.The vehicle was found downstream from Ai-Ais.That discovery set in motion the endgame in the Police’s pursuit of the two fugitive brothers.Booysen explained that a Police team set off on foot down the course of the river after the bakkie had been found.About twelve hours later, they came upon the brothers, who were in a state of extreme exhaustion, according to Booysen.He said they were not armed, and did not offer any resistance to being re-arrested.”They were thankful we found them; otherwise they would have died there,” the Inspector remarked.The brothers were ill equipped for the journey.According to Booysen, they went without food for some four days; one of the brothers was wearing slip-slop sandals at the time they were found, while the other was barefoot, carrying his shoes in his hands.For Ian Jones (26) the 80 km walk down the canyon had been so gruelling that he was hospitalised on Saturday for extreme exhaustion.He was discharged from hospital yesterday and by yesterday afternoon, Booysen and Police colleagues again travelled from Keetmanshoop to Windhoek, returning the brothers to Police custody in the capital.They will probably be facing additional charges of kidnapping and robbery with aggravating circumstances over the hijacking that they are alleged to have carried out last Monday.Booysen added that it is planned to have them appear in court on a charge of escaping from lawful custody today.In the week that the Joneses were the most sought-after fugitives from the law in Namibia, the case in which they are accused of having robbed, kidnapped and murdered Windhoek resident Gero Schaum in the city on February 14 2002, was postponed to July 14 for a pre-trial hearing in the High Court.Another case, in which Ian Jones and the 21-year-old Theunis Pool are charged with having seriously assaulted, tied up and robbed a Windhoek resident in his home in Suiderhof on December 5 2001, was also again in court on Friday.Due to Jones’s absence his and Pool’s trial could not start before Windhoek Regional Court Magistrate Dinnah Usiku as scheduled, and the case was postponed to June 25.Detective Inspector Michael Booysen from the Police’s Serious Crime Unit confirmed this yesterday.Their arrest brought to an end not only almost five days of freedom in flight for the brothers, but also an epic journey on foot that they appear to have embarked on in a desperate effort to reach the South African border and remain out of reach of the Namibian Police following their escape.According to Booysen, the Joneses had walked about 80 km down the canyon from Tuesday until they were found by a Police team at about 07h00 on Saturday.Police Karas Regional Commander, Deputy Commissioner Joseph Anghuwo, added at Keetmanshoop yesterday that the Joneses had been only about 20 km from the Orange River and the South African border when they were found.They had last been seen at a Keetmanshoop fuel station late on Monday evening, when they managed to shake off a Police officer who had tried to pursue them, firing six shots at their vehicle in the process and hitting one of the rear tyres, Anghuwo related.Booysen said that the green Nissan V6 pick-up that the brothers are alleged to have hijacked from a woman in Windhoek on Monday afternoon, was found about 10 km from Ai-Ais in the Fish River canyon on Friday.The vehicle was found downstream from Ai-Ais.That discovery set in motion the endgame in the Police’s pursuit of the two fugitive brothers.Booysen explained that a Police team set off on foot down the course of the river after the bakkie had been found.About twelve hours later, they came upon the brothers, who were in a state of extreme exhaustion, according to Booysen.He said they were not armed, and did not offer any resistance to being re-arrested.”They were thankful we found them; otherwise they would have died there,” the Inspector remarked.The brothers were ill equipped for the journey.According to Booysen, they went without food for some four days; one of the brothers was wearing slip-slop sandals at the time they were found, while the other was barefoot, carrying his shoes in his hands.For Ian Jones (26) the 80 km walk down the canyon had been so gruelling that he was hospitalised on Saturday for extreme exhaustion.He was discharged from hospital yesterday and by yesterday afternoon, Booysen and Police colleagues again travelled from Keetmanshoop to Windhoek, returning the brothers to Police custody in the capital.They will probably be facing additional charges of kidnapping and robbery with aggravating circumstances over the hijacking that they are alleged to have carried out last Monday.Booysen added that it is planned to have them appear in court on a charge of escaping from lawful custody today.In the week that the Joneses were the most sought-after fugitives from the law in Namibia, the case in which they are accused of having robbed, kidnapped and murdered Windhoek resident Gero Schaum in the city on February 14 2002, was postponed to July 14 for a pre-trial hearing in the High Court.Another case, in which Ian Jones and the 21-year-old Theunis Pool are charged with having seriously assaulted, tied up and robbed a Windhoek resident in his home in Suiderhof on December 5 2001, was also again in court on Friday.Due to Jones’s absence his and Pool’s trial could not start before Windhoek Regional Court Magistrate Dinnah Usiku as scheduled, and the case was postponed to June 25.