Road rage victim forgives attacker

Lorna Poulter before being released from hospital. Picture: Yolande Stander

By Yolandé Stander

THE victim of the savage Nelson Mandela Bay road rage attack that began with an altercation over a donkey cart has spoken about her ordeal for the first time.
Speaking to Weekend Post from her hospital bed at Greenacres on Thursday, Greenshields Park resident Lorna Poulter said she had suffered memory loss as a result of the brutal attack that nearly claimed her life earlier this month.
Poulter, 51, was attacked at about 10pm on April 3 by a driver wielding a wheel spanner after she had stopped in the road to berate two men on an overloaded donkey cart in Main Road, Walmer. Xolisa Ntantiso of Walmer allegedly pulled up in his car and a heated argument ensued. The state alleges he then went back to his car, took out a wheel spanner and proceeded to attack Poulter.
Ntantiso was arrested at the scene and initially faced a case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, but this was later changed to attempted murder. The case was postponed until June 4.
A fierce animal lover, Poulter nearly bled to death on the pavement near 17th Avenue after the savage beating. She remained in a coma for days after the incident and only began showing signs of recovery last week.
Still struggling to come to terms with the emotional trauma of the incident, Poulter said the attack was still very “foggy” in her mind and that “pieces of that night” were missing.
“I remember pulling over to speak to the men who had heavily overloaded their donkey cart, but after that I can’t remember anything. The next thing I can recall is waking up in hospital,” she said softly.
She was not angry at her attacker and said she had  forgiven him.
Poulter also said she was not upset by the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court decision on Thursday to grant Ntantiso bail of only R400 even though the amount sent shockwaves through the community, many feeling it was too little to fit the crime of attempted murder.
Poulter said her pets were the first thing she thought of when she came out of the coma. “Luckily my neighbours jumped in and took care of them.”

This is a shortened version of an article that first appeared in the print edition of Weekend Post on Saturday April 21, 2012.