Burglar bleeds to death after impaling himself on fence while fleeing home he stole from

A burglar has bled to death after impaling himself on a fence outside a house he was stealing from. Police in Pretoria, South Africa said the 54-year-old homeowner awoke in the early hours of May 6 to the sound of his dogs barking - and went to the living room to find them staring at a window, which had been forced open. He then ventured outside to find items of clothing dangling off the palisade fence, and a man bleeding and writhing in pain on his driveway. The burglar , who police said stole two MacBook laptops and an iPhone 14, was pronounced dead by an ambulance crew who arrived at the scene. Announcing an investigation into the incident, Tshwane district Saps spokesperson Captain Johan van Dyk said: "The 54-year-old complainant reported that on 6 May at approximately 3.40am, he was awakened by his dogs barking. He proceeded to the lounge area, as the dogs were barking in the direction of the window. "Upon arrival, he noticed that the window was open and heard movement outside, although no person was visible. "The complainant then took his remote control and went outside to investigate. He observed items of clothing caught on top of the palisade fence. He activated his panic button, which alerted private security. "At that stage, the individual was still alive and appeared to be attempting to roll on the ground. The complainant stated that he did not make any physical contact with the individual. Security personnel arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. The complainant then returned to the house to assess what property had been stolen. "Emergency Medical Services were contacted immediately. Upon assessment, the individual was declared dead at the scene." Capt Van Dyk said an inquest will be called into the circumstances of the death, while police will lead an investigation into housebreaking and theft. Middle and upper class households in South Africa often feature extensive security measures, such as spiked fences, extensive CCTV, automatic locking gates and private on-call guards, because of the risk posed from break-ins - many of which involve fatal attacks on homeowners. Though there has been some progress in reducing crime in recent years, the country recorded an estimated 441.7 burglaries per 100,000 population last year - one of the highest rates in the world .