Weymouth street attack victim says he's lucky to be alive

The 22-year-old came forward after reading in the Dorset Echo that his attackers had been jailed.

He said that he realised how serious the attack was when he saw CCTV footage of the attack showing how he was punched and kicked on the ground.

The man, who lives in Weymouth but wanted to remain anonymous, said: “I was knocked out so I cannot remember much of the attack.

“It happened so fast but after seeing the pictures I think I’m lucky to be alive.

“I really think the CCTV just speaks for itself.”

Adam James Wheller and Christopher Geoffrey Wick, both 19, were sent to a Young Offender Institution after admitting affray charges following the March assault.

The judge, describing it as a ‘cowardly, sustained and extreme attack, fuelled by alcohol and anger’ sentenced Wheller to nine months and Wick to six months.

In an unusual move, detectives constructed a case against the pair despite no victim coming forward at the time.

The prosecution was secured thanks to the graphic CCTV footage, which clearly showed the victim being punched nine times and his head being stamped on and kicked six times.

The victim knew nothing of the court case until he read, on Monday, that the pair had been jailed. He also saw CCTV footage on the Dorset Echo website.

After contacting the Dorset Echo, he said: “I’ve since spoken to the police and a detective told me these men felt really bad when they saw the CCTV footage.

“I don’t have much to say about them really. They are in prison for a few months, but I could easily have died.”

The Weymouth man continued: “I didn’t come forward at the time because it was not something I really wanted to shout about.

“I’d taken a beating and I was not going to feel all that happy and chatty about it.

“Also, because I was knocked out, I really didn’t know too much about it. I just didn’t realise how serious it was. If I had, I would have definitely come forward.”

After the assault, the man walked home, where he was left nursing cuts, bruises and a severe headache. He said: “I’d taken quite a beating and I was quite woozy for a couple of days.

“After that I just wanted to get back to normal.

“And, to be fair, you hear of this sort of thing happening all the time and I guess I didn’t think the police will do anything about it.

“Obviously, I was wrong.”

After the initial shock of seeing himself kicked unconscious wore off, he said: “I would like to say a really big thank you to the police for following this prosecution through.

“Hopefully it will make other people come forward when they have been assaulted.”

In court, it was claimed that the man had acted aggressively towards Wick and Wheller’s’group earlier in the evening to provoke them.

Recalling the attack, which happened in the early hours after a night out in the town centre, he said: “I cannot remember any argument, I think a few words were said, then the next thing I knew a large group was coming towards me.

“As you can see in the CCTV, I was just backing off and backing off, then I started to run.

“I didn’t want any trouble.

“Then they caught me and I remember thinking, oh no, then everything happened really fast.

“I didn’t have time to be frightened. I really don’t know what happened after that. Although, it’s frightening now looking back at the CCTV footage.”

THE CCTV images of a teenage thug stamping on his victim’s head provoked some strong responses locally.

The Rev Tony Stephens – one of Weymouth’s street pastors – has been quick to sound a cautionary note, insisting violent incidents in the town centre are far from the norm.

He said: “I think, in line with anyone else viewing that kind of violence, it is not something you would want to see on the streets of any town, let alone Weymouth.

“But generally, in Weymouth, the incidents of violent behaviour are few and far between.”

Rev Stephens, who has worked the town centre nightshift since last summer, from 10pm to 4am, on Fridays and Saturdays, says he often witnesses alcohol-fuelled aggression.

He said: “All it needs when people have had too much to drink is one word taken in the wrong way.

He said. “Then it can quickly turn into something different.

“I’m not aware of the actual incident, all I’ve seen is the CCTV footage, but I would say that probably for 90 per cent of the people we see wandering around the streets, they feel happy, they feel safe.”

The street pastor and his team provide assistance to anyone in need in the town centre.

He said: “I wouldn’t say we have seen an increase or a decrease in incidents like this. It’s only on rare occasions that you find an aggressive incident.

“The majority of people that we see are there to have an enjoyable night out with friends and its generally a very good environment.

“I think if people thought this went on every night of the week in Weymouth, they would be misguided.”