Four held over hammer attack on tourist (From The Oxford Times)
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Four held over hammer attack on tourist
6:50pm Wednesday 8th July 2009 in
A CANADIAN tourist was hit on the head with a hammer in a unprovoked attack in Oxford.
The 25-year-old accountant was in Little Clarendon Street, in the city centre, on Tuesday night enjoying an evening out friends when he was attacked.
A man barged into the group, which included five Canadian visitors on their first trip to the city, and shouted out “I want a word with you”.
As the tourists tried to walk away, he pulled out a hammer and struckone of them on the back of his head.
The five visitors had only been in Oxford for an hour before they were attacked at about 11pm.
They were being shown around the city by a friend, Oxford Mail reporter Chris Walker, of West Oxford.
Four men were arrested in Foxwell Drive, Headington, in the early hours yesterday and were last night being held in police custody, under suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.
Mr Walker said: “There was blood all over his head and hands.
“He went for another swing at us and we legged it, at which point I saw two guys in a car call to him to get back in.
“I am completely shell-shocked.
“There was no provocation or recognition this was going to happen — this guy just pulled out a mallet and attacked my friend.
“I feel ashamed because they came to my city and I took them to one of the nicest areas and safest parts of the city – then one of them is attacked like this.”
The six men ran to nearby Cafe Rouge in Little Clarendon Street and called police as the attacker jumped into a silver car and fled.
The man, from Mississauga, near Toronto, was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital where he had three staples applied to a wound on the back of his head.
He has since left Oxford and did not want to comment.
Det Insp Simon Morton said: “This was an unprovoked violent attack on visitors to our city.
“There were lots of people in Little Clarendon Street at the time and I would like to hear from everyone who saw these men and in particular the car they were driving.”
In July last year Japanese student Kentaro Ikeda, 27, suffered a fractured skull in a brutal robbery on a cycle path off Ferry Road, Marston. He is now confined to a wheelchair.
* A foreign student was robbed as he made his way through an Oxford estate.
The 17 year old Spanish student was walking along Dunnock Way, in Blackbird Leys, at 11pm yesterday when two men, who police described as black and in their 20s, forced him to lie on the floor before they stole his wallet and mobile phone.
Anyone with information about either the attack in Little Clarendon Street should speak to Oxford police on 08458 505505 or leave an anonymous message with Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Comments(16)
Victor Meldrew2
says...
7:31pm Wed 8 Jul 09
Old zimner
says...
7:36am Thu 9 Jul 09
William Bonnie
says...
7:45am Thu 9 Jul 09
sparro
says...
8:54am Thu 9 Jul 09
jonny1976
says...
9:28am Thu 9 Jul 09
cottage2day
says...
9:34am Thu 9 Jul 09
sparro wrote:I have lived here all my life, and if i had the money i'd leave this country tomorrow.
I agree "tanchris" I was born & lived in Oxford for 61 yrs, came back 2 wks ago for a funeral & was shocked at the state of the city.
jamesp
says...
10:47am Thu 9 Jul 09
cottage2day wrote:You don't need much money to up and leave... Go away if you dislike it so much, or help to do something about it, rather than moaning on an internet messageboard.
sparro wrote: I agree "tanchris" I was born & lived in Oxford for 61 yrs, came back 2 wks ago for a funeral & was shocked at the state of the city.I have lived here all my life, and if i had the money i'd leave this country tomorrow.
smurthy
says...
11:53am Thu 9 Jul 09
cottage2day
says...
12:43pm Thu 9 Jul 09
jamesp wrote:Well you do need money, as I have debt etc to pay off first, or shall i just do a runner? Jump in a canoe and off i go. I would love to do something about it, but i'd probably get thrown in jail myself.
cottage2day wrote:You don't need much money to up and leave... Go away if you dislike it so much, or help to do something about it, rather than moaning on an internet messageboard.sparro wrote: I agree "tanchris" I was born & lived in Oxford for 61 yrs, came back 2 wks ago for a funeral & was shocked at the state of the city.I have lived here all my life, and if i had the money i'd leave this country tomorrow.
cottage2day
says...
12:43pm Thu 9 Jul 09
jamesp wrote:Well you do need money, as I have debt etc to pay off first, or shall i just do a runner? Jump in a canoe and off i go. I would love to do something about it, but i'd probably get thrown in jail myself.
cottage2day wrote:You don't need much money to up and leave... Go away if you dislike it so much, or help to do something about it, rather than moaning on an internet messageboard.sparro wrote: I agree "tanchris" I was born & lived in Oxford for 61 yrs, came back 2 wks ago for a funeral & was shocked at the state of the city.I have lived here all my life, and if i had the money i'd leave this country tomorrow.
Andrew:Oxford
says...
3:49pm Thu 9 Jul 09
Not that a someone who was visiting this city was injured - but that it was witnessed personally by a journalist.
Diamond Lil
says...
3:51pm Thu 9 Jul 09
But also the judges need to get in touch with reality..read the court columns heavier fines for no TV licence than getting drunk and breaking someones nose....Get real!!!
cottage2day
says...
5:30pm Thu 9 Jul 09
cottage2day
says...
5:30pm Thu 9 Jul 09
Grundon Skipp
says...
9:24pm Thu 9 Jul 09
jamesp wrote:If Labour get back in, I'm ditching my job, taking a day trip to Calais, smuggling myself back in on a lorry axle and claiming asylum.
cottage2day wrote:You don't need much money to up and leave... Go away if you dislike it so much, or help to do something about it, rather than moaning on an internet messageboard.sparro wrote: I agree "tanchris" I was born & lived in Oxford for 61 yrs, came back 2 wks ago for a funeral & was shocked at the state of the city.I have lived here all my life, and if i had the money i'd leave this country tomorrow.
The Country will still be a sh*t hole but at least I won't be paying anything towards it.
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tanchris says...
7:18pm Wed 8 Jul 09