Two Guildford Assaults in One Week Leave Two Men Seriously Injured

Published on: 16 Jul, 2012
Updated on: 17 Jul, 2012

Kings Road looking towards the small tunnel

Police are appealing for witnesses to two incidents that occurred in Guildford over the past week. In both cases victims have been left with serious injuries.

Kings Road (off Stoke Road)

The most recent incident occured in a small road tunnel in Kings Road that connects Nightingale Road and Stoke Road on Friday, July 13. Surrey Police are appealing to the driver and four passengers of a silver or white hatchback vehicle to come forward following a serious assault.

The incident took place between 6.30pm and 6.45pm as the victim, a 39-year-old man, was leaving GuilFest with his wife and young child.

A nearby resident said: “As they were walking through the small road tunnel on the Kings Road a car approached at some speed. The male pedestrian signalled for him to stop or slow do as they moved through the tunnel – there is not room for the car to pass pedestrians.

The incident where a car passenger is alleged to have assaulted a pedestrian took place here

“The car did stop and a passenger got out and head-butted and punched the victim. It was all over very quickly. There was so much blood. I suspect the car was driven by someone from Guildford or someone who had a very good knowledge of this area. Most people from outside Guildford don’t use this road: they often don’t even realise it is a through road.”

An ambulance and paramedics rushed to the scene which was cordoned off by police. The injured man was taken to St George’s Hospital in Tooting where he remains in a critical condition.

Surrey Police are keen to speak with anyone who may have seen the vehicle driving erratically in the Kings Road area.

The suspect is described as a white male, possibly with tanned skin, in his late 20s to early 30s, between 5ft 10ins – 6ft 2ins. He is of medium/muscular build, with short dark hair and was wearing a light coloured top and dark jeans/joggers.

Detective Sergeant Anna Leahy, from Guildford CID, said:“ It’s been nearly two days since the victim was assaulted and he remains in hospital in a critical condition. The victim was on a family day out with his wife and 16-month-old child and he was trying to get them safely across the road when he was attacked.

“I am appealing to the person who carried out this assault and the other people in the vehicle to come forward.

“I am also appealing to anyone who knows anyone involved, or who witnessed the assault or saw a light coloured hatchback driving erratically in the Kings Road area of Guildford, to contact Surrey Police as a matter of urgency.”

Bridge Street

The other incident occurred at around 1.30am on Sunday, July 8, when two 19-year-old friends were involved in a verbal altercation with another man and a third friend went to help them out. As a result of the intervention he was punched in the face and racially abused. The 20-year-old victim suffered a serious facial injury. His friends were also each assaulted.

Detective Constable Mike Taylor investigating said: “This was a vicious unprovoked incident which caused injury to a number of young men who had been enjoying a night out in the town. I am appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward and provide me with details of what they saw.

“Officers in the town work hard to maintain Guildford as a safe place to live, work and visit and incidents of this nature are thankfully rare. If you do have any information which could help the investigation please call me on 101 as soon as possible.”

A 21-year-old man from Guildford is currently on bail in relation to the incident and is due to return to Guildford police station on August 15, 2012.