Guildford Mother Re-lives Attack As Two Local Men Are Arrested

Published on: 26 Jul, 2012
Updated on: 29 Jul, 2012

Nicola Hart with 17 month old William

Two local men, aged 32 and 35, have now been arrested in connection with a serious assault in Kings Road, Guildford on Friday, 13 July 2012. Both have been granted police bail and are due to report back at Guildford police station on 4 September 2012.

Earlier Nicola Hart the wife of the victim, gave a harrowing account of the attack on her husband Peter who remains in a coma. The attack occurred as they were making their way home from GuilFest.

Nicola Hart agreed to be interviewed by The Guildford Dragon News, at her home in St Catherine’s, before the news of the arrest in the hope that further publicity might increase the chance of those involved in the serious assault of her husband Pete being apprehended.

Re-living the incident Nicola said: “We came away from GuilFest at about 6.30pm and after walking along Nightingale Road we turned down Kings Road as a short-cut to Stoke Road.

“I was behind my husband Pete. I was pushing our buggy which had our seventeen month old son William in it.

“The tunnel is low and narrow: there is not room for pedestrians and vehicles to pass inside it so Pete went ahead. I remember that he was almost through the tunnel when a car approached from the Stoke Road direction. I think he must have waved him down so that we could go through safely.

“The front passenger got out of the car. It was a man. He was in his 20s or 30s, and seemed Scandinavian or North European in appearance. He had fair hair and skin and very white teeth. I think he had sideburns. He was taller than me and I am 5ft 7in. I did not hear either him or the driver speak. ”

“He ran around the back of the car. Then it all happened so quickly but I knew instinctively that something bad had happened.

The narrow road tunnel in Kings Road where the incident took place

“He got back in the car which drove off. I turned round, saw Pete lying on the ground and as I ran towards him I was already phoning for an ambulance. There was another man there who put Pete into the recovery position.

“There was lots of blood on the ground and on Pete’s temples and down the side of his face. I am sure someone else said to the police, “I saw everything.”

“The ambulance turned up and the crew started treating Pete. Then the police arrived and started questioning me. By that stage I was frantic.

“I saw the ambulance crew cutting Pete’s clothes off. An ambulance man told me that he would have to go to St George’s Hospital by helicopter and I realised how serious it must be and got really upset.

Nicola Hart with her husband Pete on their wedding day

“My brother came to the scene and looked after my son William. Eventually, I came home with my son and brother and after about half an hour the police turned up and said I should go with them straight away to the hospital because the injuries were so serious they did not know if Pete would survive. It was terrible.

“I stayed at the hospital until nearly 2 am when they advised me to return home. All they could tell me was that he had severe head injuries and they had to try and make him stable.

“The doctors have said that they can’t tell anything until the swelling goes down. It was Pete’s 40th birthday yesterday so I went up to see him. He is still unconscious as he is in an induced coma which is the standard treatment these days for these kinds of injuries. They don’t know how long it will last.

“This horrible attack changed my life in a few moments. I am now left in a position where I don’t know what might happen to my husband and I have our 17 month old son to take care of.

“I want these people caught before they can do the same thing to someone else. I really hope that if anyone knows anything about this they come forward and tell the police. Someone must know something. These people need to be caught.”

Surrey police carried a seven day ‘anniversary visit’ in the area of the incident last Friday in a bid to jog the memories of any witnesses. Officers stopped motorists and pedestrians in the vicinity to ask if they had seen anything and two witness appeal boards were on display.

Investigating officers urgently wants to locate a silver or white hatchback and its occupants and is now also looking for a black 4×4 vehicle in connection with the incident.

Detective Sergeant Anna Leahy said: “I am still appealing to anyone who may have further information in relation to this dreadful attack to come forward and speak with officers. The victim remains in a life-threatening condition and the effect on his loved ones is traumatic. If you have any knowledge which might help with our investigation please call 101 as soon as possible quoting Operation Vermillion.”