Man left for dead after street attack
25-YEAR-OLD ‘VERY LUCKY TO BE ALIVE’ AFTER GANG TARGETED HIM ON NIGHT OUT
A MAN was left with life-threatening injuries in a vicious street attack.
Carl Johnson was left with a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain when he was set upon in a Rochdale street.
The 25-year-old remains in hospital with serious injuries following the unprovoked attck in the early hours of Sunday. His brother has spoken out about his family’s heartache and released a picture of Carl in hospital.
Carl, from the Salem area of Oldham, recently moved to Rochdale.
Mark says Carl had rung him on Saturday evening saying he wanted to go to the Rochdale Feel Good Festival.
His family believe he went into the town centre and later went to a pub.
Police believe he was attacked by three men and a woman as he walked home. They knocked Carl to the floor before punching and kicking him as he lay defencless on the ground.
The attackers are said to have fled from Drake Street in the direction of Manchester Road.
Carl, who works at a distribution centre, was found badly injured by paramedics at 1.50am and rushed to hospital. He has since been moved to a specialist brain injury unit at Salford Royal Hospital, where he remains seriously ill, slipping in and out of consciousness.
Carl suffered a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain, as well as a broken jaw, hand and ribs.
His family suspect it may have been a homophobic hate crime, although police have now said they are not treating it as such.
Mark, who lives in Huddersfield, told the M.E.N.: “It’s just been devastating for all of us. My mum especially has taken it very hard.
“We just can’t fathom why someone would do something like that to him.
“He’s the softest, kindest person you would ever meet. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. He actually rang me that night to tell me he loved me.
“He’s very lucky to be alive. We don’t how long his recovery will take, it could take a month, it could take six months or longer.”
Det Cons Craig Wallace, of GMP’s Rochdale borough, said: “This was a completely unprovoked attack on an innocent man who has been left with serious injuries.”
Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting incident number 272 of August 13 - or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.