Dennis Hammar's Wife Narrates Ordeal With Police Before South African Cyclist's Death

• Dennis Hammar’s wife narrates her encounter with the police before the death of the South African cyclist
• The veteran cyclist died at the age of 77 after failing to recover from an injury sustained during an attack by a robber
• The late cyclist's widow also opened up about her difficulty sleeping since the passing of her husband

The wife of the late Dennis Hammar, Sharon Hammar, has given a detailed account of her ordeal with the police before the veteran South African cyclist passed on.

The SA cyclist died at the age of 77 after being assaulted by a robber while riding his bicycle through the city centre on Sunday, July 27, 2025.

The 77-year-old tragically passed on in the hospital while receiving treatment, as he was unable to recover from the severe injuries he suffered from the brutal attack.

Hammar's widow narrates ordeal with police

Sharon Hammar, in an interview, recounts the distressing encounter with the police before the passing of the veteran cyclist.

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She claimed her late husband was attacked on Sunday morning, almost 10 a.m., and he managed to reach a nearby parked vehicle despite the injuries he suffered from the attack, where a kind stranger named Nigel offered him a phone to call for help.

A group of passing cyclists also came to his aid, helping move him to a safer spot near the Westin Hotel Convention Centre while he waited for his wife to arrive.

This marked the beginning of a heartbreaking event, one filled with multiple hospital visits, scans, intense suffering and a desperate struggle to get the police to take his statement.

“If I hadn’t been relentless and threatened to expose the police for their lack of urgency, Dennis would never have had the opportunity to sign his statement; it’s a disgrace,” Hammar's widow said.

Sharon’s heartbreak is heightened by the fact that this wasn’t the first time Dennis was hurt while cycling in Cape Town. He had a similar encounter last year in November when he was a victim of a hit-and-run in Paarden Eiland, a case she reported to the Maitland Police Station, the City of Cape Town and councillor JP Smith.

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The police did a good job when Moira Harding went missing during the Comrade Marathon, but they failed to meet expectations from Sharon during her husband's case.

She claimed they didn't receive any response from the police despite tendering evidence of camera footage and repeatedly following up.

Sharon also paid tribute to her husband and opened up about finding it hard to sleep since the veteran's death.

“It’s now 1:30 a.m., and I can’t sleep. I’m crying, grieving the loss of my husband, father, brother, and grandfather to our lovely family,” she added.

“Dennis will leave a huge space in all our lives. The most heartbreaking part is that he was so calm, he never even discovered how greatly loved and appreciated he truly was.”

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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News