Bar attack knife slash went through to man’s skull
POLICE APPEAL TO FIND ASSAILANT
A MAN was slashed in the head with a Stanley-type knife in a Stapleford bar.
Ryan Middleton became involved in a confrontation at Larry’s Bar in the town with an unknown customer, who had “started on a friend’s son” on Friday.
Mr Middleton, from Long Eaton, said he was then struck out of the blue, leaving him with a six-inch gash to the side of his head and a lacerated thumb.
He is now out of work indefinitely, and was later told that the head wound had missed his throat and left eye by an inch.
Mr Middleton, who works in composites, said: “I can’t work now until my hand’s healed, at least, because dust will get in there otherwise. The stitches in my head should be out by the weekend but God knows how long my hand will take.”
He had just picked up his girlfriend from Stapleford and the pair had planned to go home before they agreed to stop for a drink at their local, Larry’s Bar, in Derby Road.
Mr Middleton described the bar as “normally a good place” and said he had “never had a problem in there” before. He said he drank two pints of lager before noticing the 18-year-old son of a friend being “started on” by a man playing pool.
The son’s father defused the situation initially and Mr Middleton says he went over to his friend, having thought it had calmed down, to make sure he was OK. It was then that he was slashed by the man, who is yet to be identified by police.
He said he doesn’t remember what was said and did “not even realise” he had been cut until he saw the blade in the attacker’s hand and saw blood on his own hands and T-shirt.
He went to grab the man but his friend pushed them apart.
“I just wanted to get him out of the pub,” said Mr Middleton.
“The only pain was in my thumb. The side of my head was all right but I just had a wet feeling down the side of my head and that’s when I knew I’d been slashed. There was a fair bit of blood down my shirt.”
Other pub-goers rushed to Ryan’s aid and tried to apprehend the man but he fled.
An ambulance was called and arrived within 20 minutes to take Mr Middleton to hospital, where he remained until 4am, when doctors stitched him up.
The slash to his thumb may have cut through a tendon, doctors said, with the cleanness of the cut to his head perhaps an explanation for his lack of pain.
While the gash was “not overly deep” on his ear and cheek, the wound nearer the top of his head went through to his skull.
No arrests have been made so far in relation to the incident.
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police said: “Officers were called to Larry’s Bar, in Derby Road, Stapleford, around 11.25pm on Friday after a man suffered a slash injury to his face following an altercation.”
Detective Inspector James Oakton, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We are working hard to locate the suspect and understand exactly what happened. I would like to reassure members of the public that we are treating this as an isolated incident, and we do not believe there is any wider risk to the public. We would also ask anyone who was in the venue around this time and saw anything which could help with the investigation to get in touch.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 848 of April 12, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.