Fears terrifying attack was not one-off incident
‘He was waiting for an opportunity’ says victim
It’s affecting me more and more
A 42-YEAR-OLD woman who was viciously assaulted in a lane in Uxbridge on Halloween has said she wants her attacker caught so no one else has to suffer through what she did.
Philippa May was walking back to her partner’s house from a gym in the town centre when a man shoved her to the ground and made an inappropriate sexual remark during the awful incident.
Ms May suffered horrific cuts and bruising to her face and said she is afraid to return to Uxbridge.
The Metropolitan Police is appealing for witnesses and information to bring the vicious offender to justice.
Speaking to the Gazette Ms May, who lives in Fleet, Hampshire, said: “It’s really scary to think he might have done it before. “He knew what he was doing. “I’m having to sleep with the light on at home. I don’t want to walk across the car park if there’s no one around in the day.
“I’m sure he’s done it before and he’s just going to keep doing it unless someone steps out. “It was awful.” The attack happened at around 7.30pm in an alleyway leading from St Johns Road to Culvert Lane, 15 minutes from the town centre.
Ms May said her attacker had pretended to be jogging behind and that he had followed her along the road.
When she turned into the lane the attacker stopped and hid behind a wall before he ran down the lane and hit Ms May to the ground.
She thinks the nasty injuries to her face were sustained as she fell face first onto the gravel track.
The attacker and Ms May grappled on the ground, but she was able to get to her feet, and the offender fled from the scene taking her backpack with him.
She ran to her partner’s house, covered in blood.
Some of the victim’s belongings were later found dumped in Rockingham Recreation Ground, but two phones and the rucksack are still missing.
The phones are both Iphone 5S mobiles, one with a transparent apple green cover and another with a black Griffin Survivor Rubber case.
CCTV images released on Thursday show a suspect following the victim before the attack. The offender is described as a male who was wearing a hooded top and gloves.
Ms May added: “I felt OK last week but it’s affecting me more and more. He really knew the area. I’m sure he is local.
“If it hadn’t have been me it would have been someone else. He was out waiting for an opportunity.”
Anyone with information relating to the incident is asked to contact DC Reda Imane or DS Andy Dawson at Hillingdon CID on 07500 102621 or 020 82461552.