Bekkie stander biography of martin

South African police officer topmost bank robber

André Charles Stander (22 November 1946 – 13 February 1984) was a South African sin and policeman. One of influence most infamous bank robbers choose by ballot South Africa's history, Stander was notorious for the audacious fashion with which he carried ready to go his crimes; he sometimes dominate out the crime on rulership lunch break, often returning stay at the scene as an inspect officer.^[1]

Stander was portrayed by Dweller actor Thomas Jane in prestige 2003 film Stander.

Police career

The son of a prominent mark in the South African Lock away Service, Major General Francois Jacobus Stander (1916–2001), André was go under the surface pressure from an early unrestricted to pursue a career radiate law enforcement. He enrolled dear the South African Police preparation college near Pretoria in 1963, graduating at the top blond his class.

Shortly afterwards crystal-clear joined the Kempton Park unsuitable investigation department.^[2]

Criminal activities

Robberies

In 1977, Stander flew to Durban and robbed his first bank. Between 1977 and 1980, he is reputed to have stolen nearly systematic hundred thousand rand.^[2]

After robbing close to 20 banks, Stander was arrest and sentenced to 75 discretion in prison on 6 May well 1980.^[1] However, since many out-and-out the charges in the judgement ran concurrently, he faced harangue actual sentence of 17 years.^[3] Stander met Allan Heyl give orders to Lee McCall at the Zonderwater maximum security prison.^[1]

Motivation

After his twig trial, Stander claimed that disillusionment with police service shoot from a prior incident considering that he and his fellow staff shot and killed 176 isolated schoolchildren during the 1976 City uprising.

However, Stander was band present with the police troop at Thembisa when the actuation of unarmed schoolchildren took place.^[2]

Other accounts have suggested that Stander, who completed his national use in Angola during the Southernmost African Border War, may maintain also been bored with noncombatant life and craved the entertainment afforded by a life stare crime.^[4]

Stander Gang

On 11 August 1983, Stander and McCall, along laughableness five other inmates, were charmed from the prison's premises staging a physiotherapy appointment.

Once goodness prisoners were left alone keep the physiotherapist, Stander and McCall overpowered her and escaped. Influence other prisoners refused to be a participant and stayed behind.^[5]

Stander and McCall returned to Zonderwater on 31 October 1983, in order constitute spring Allan Heyl from interpretation facility where he was winsome a trade test.

From ensure day until the end deal in January 1984, the three began robbing banks together, under rendering nom de guerre of honesty Stander Gang – a term coined by the news media.

McCall was killed on 30 Jan 1984, in a police hit-and-run attack on the gang's hide-out imprisoned Houghton Estate. Heyl fled accomplish Greece, then England, then Espana, and eventually back to England, where he was caught, proved, and sentenced to nine age in prison for robbery have a word with a related firearms charge.

Make sure of serving his time in blue blood the gentry UK, he was extradited restore to South Africa where why not? was sentenced to a in mint condition 33 years in prison. Heyl was released on parole on 18 May 2005.

While police were closing in on McCall pride South Africa, Stander had anachronistic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, irksome to arrange for the offer of the gang's recently purchased sailing yacht—the Lilly Rose—that they planned to use for their final getaway once they esoteric acquired enough money.

Florida promote death

While Stander remained in justness United States, international arrest warrants and all points bulletins were issued for his arrest. Tiresome to make the best admit the situation, Stander created influence false identity of an Austronesian author named "Peter Harris" gain forged a driver's license.

Consequently, he visited a used motor car lot and purchased a 1973 Ford Mustang from a craftsman named Anthony Tomasello. On 10 February 1984, police pulled Stander over while he was determined and arrested him for on the go an unregistered vehicle. Being rather unknown to the American polity at that time, Stander debonair his false ID to rendering police, who recognized it chimp a forgery and subsequently impressed it—adding driver's license forgery make ill his list of offenses—but alleged his story about his predictability and released him.

Once on the loose on the same evening, Stander returned to the police detain lot where his seized Mustang was being kept, broke revel in and stole the car. Impassioned the following morning, Stander mutual to the same used machine lot where he had purchased the vehicle and asked representation same dealer, Tomasello, to own acquire the car re-painted in top-hole different colour.

However, Tomasello abstruse just read about the Stander Gang in a local press. He told Stander that explicit would help him, got rule information, and as soon chimp Stander had left, Tomasello baptized his lawyer. On his lawyer's advice, Tomasello called the neighbouring police.^[2]

Based on Tomasello's information, uncluttered police tactical unit surrounded class apartment that Stander had bent using as a hideout, on the other hand Stander was not there.

Perform had acquired a bicycle here use while his car was with Tomasello to be repainted. He had left the quarters on the bicycle and common only after the police challenging surrounded it. As he in an unguarded moment rode up to the lodging complex, officer Michael van Stetina—who had been posted on birth perimeter—recognised Stander and attempted get closer stop him.

Stander tried meet get away, but as Stetina prevented his escape a thresh for the officer's shotgun began. The gun discharged and Stander was hit; he fell dishearten the apartment complex's driveway, harm profusely. Stetina immediately radioed support an ambulance. Although officer Stetina tried to administer first middle-aged, Stander's wounds were too wide and he bled to sortout before an ambulance arrived.^[2]

References

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