Bottle assault has left victim with flashbacks
POLICE ISSUE APPEAL AS PARK ATTACK LEAVES PAIR BLOODIED
SHOCK: The victim, pixellated by the Mercury to protect her identity, in Queen’s Medical Centre
A WOMAN injured when she and a friend were attacked by a man wielding a glass bottle in a nature reserve is being plagued by flashbacks of the attack.
The two 19-year-olds were attacked by a stranger at Watermead Park on Monday, June 1.
Both were hit with a glass bottle before their attacker fled the scene.
One of the victims, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that she has been struggling to sleep ever since.
The woman, along with a group of her friends, had been sitting in Watermead Park having a catchup after not being able to see each other due to the lockdown.
One member of the group began to feel unwell and the 19-year-old victim went to help her friend.
At this time, another group who had been sitting on the other side of the park walked close to her.
The victim described what happened next: “They walked over and started to stare at my mate being sick, so another of my mates asked ‘you okay?.’
“She didn’t give them any attitude at all, but then the lads started to get in my mate’s face so I pulled her back and said to leave it.
“I didn’t know one of the lads was behind me. He grabbed me and turned me about and began to punch me in my face.
“I tried to get him off me and, when I did, I turned to see if my mates were okay and that’s when he bottled me over the back of my head and neck three or four times.
“My mate who was being sick came over to see if I was okay and he bottled her on the head too.”
She said the attacker then threw the bottle and ran.
Seeing her friend on the floor injured, the victim rushed to her side, not realising that she too was badly injured and covered in blood.
Emergency services were called and both 19-year-olds were taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre, in Nottingham, where they were treated for cuts to the head and neck.
Recalling the attack, she said: “It was vile. It makes me sick thinking of it. I keep having flashbacks and am still in a lot of pain.”
She said the group from which the attacker emerged was made up of “two or three girls and three or four lads, all Asian”.
“The lad that attacked us had curly fluffy hair and beard,” she said. “He was wearing a black North Face jumper and grey joggers and he was about 6ft.”
Police say no arrests have been made in connection with the incident but patrols have been increased in the area.
Detective Sergeant Dan Robberts said: “I am appealing for anyone with information about this incident to come forward.
“Were you in Watermead Park? Were you out for a walk or run? Did you see what happened or notice anyone acting in a way that caught your attention?
“Any information you have, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, could help with our investigation.”
Call 101, quoting incident 515 of June 1.