Did You Witness a Knifepoint Robbery and Assault in Guildford?

Published on: 7 Feb, 2013
Updated on: 8 Feb, 2013

Surrey Police is appealing for witnesses after a teenager was assaulted during a knifepoint robbery in Guildford last week.

The incident took place in a park area off The Oval at some point between 11pm on Friday, February 1, and 1am the next day.

The victim, a 19-year-old local man, was walking through the park when he was approached by three men.

The men blocked the victim’s path and one of the group threatened him with a small knife and told him to hand over money and any items of value.

The victim handed the man with a knife £80 in cash and the man then punched the victim in the face, causing him to fall backwards and injure his arm.

The three men then ran from the area towards Guildford Cathedral.

The victim suffered minor injuries to his jaw and right elbow as a result of the attack.

The man who was carrying the knife is described as a white man in his late teens, slim build, between 5ft 8in and 5ft 10ins and was wearing dark hooded top, dark tracksuit bottoms and white trainers.

The other two men are both described as white, slim build and were wearing dark hooded tops, dark tracksuit bottoms and dark coloured trainers.

One of the men was around 6ft and had his face covered with a scarf. The third man in the group was between 5ft 7ins and 5ft 9ins and had piercing through the centre of his lower lip.

Following the incident Surrey Police officers carried out house to house enquiries and are in the process of reviewing CCTV footage in the area.

Detective Constable Adam Hewitt, who is leading the investigation, said: “This was a nasty and completely unprovoked incident where the young victim was threatened with a knife before being hit in the face.

“Fortunately the victim only sustained minor injuries but he has understandably been left very shaken by what must have been a frightening experience.

“Given the late hour when the incident took place I feel sure that people living in the area would recall seeing or hearing something out of the ordinary so I would urge anyone with any information to come forward.

“I would also like to hear from anyone who saw where the three men ran to immediately after the robbery.

“I would like to assure Guildford residents that we are taking this offence very seriously and every effort is being made to bring these cowardly individuals to justice.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident or with any information should call Surrey Police on 101, quoting reference GD/13/915, or call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.