Teenager: ‘Pub attack has left me on edge’

A teenager who suffered significant bruising after an ‘unprovoked’ attack in a Bath pub says he is now constantly looking over his shoulder. Oliver, who didn’t want to give his surname, said he was left with a swollen jaw and his left eye and upper lip were badly bruised after a man punched him repeatedly in the face in the Cork pub. The 19-year-old Bath resident told how he had gone in the upstairs toilet of the pub, off Westgate Buildings, when a man came in and asked him a question. When Oliver went to wash his hands, he said the man attacked him from behind, pushed him against the wall and began punching him repeatedly. “He said something along the lines of, ‘I am going to assault you,’” said Oliver. “We moved over to the sink area where he punched me a few more times but I managed to defend myself sufficiently for him to back off and eventually leave. “Afterwards I went and told the group I was with, who in turn told the bouncers and the police. The man who attacked me had long gone by that point, unfortunately. “I had significant bruising to my lips, eye and left side of my face and there was also a lot of swelling on the right side of my jaw. Thankfully it was nothing serious and nothing was broken. “Since the incident I’ve recovered well. I only have a slight bit of bruising left.” Several weeks on from the assault, which took place on Friday, December 21, between 8.158.30pm, Oliver says he is now ‘on edge’ after the assault. “It has put me on edge a lot more when visiting any busy place such as a pub or club and even more so when it’s at night and people have been drinking,” he said. “I have been to the pub a few times before and never had any problems, so I was surprised (about the attack). I am now looking over my shoulder more. “I’m sure I’ll be fine in a few weeks in regards to that. In the meantime though I’m still quite apprehensive and nervous about being out at night.” Avon and Somerset police are investigating this incident.