Unprovoked attack on man in Exeter

Beaten up near St David's station

Police are appealing for witnesses of an attack on a 34-year-old man by the Premier Inn on Bonhay Road Exeter.

Officers would particularly like to speak to a group of females and two men in a white van who are believed to have seen the incident around 10 a.m. on Thursday 15 October.

The victim was walking down St Clement's Lane, the steps between St David’s Hill and Bonhay Road, which runs alongside the hotel, when he was approached by a man who jumped out in front of him and purposefully kept stepping in his way shouting: “get out of my way”.

The offender then attacked the victim, punching him repeatedly in the head and face, causing bruising and swelling to his nose and jaw and a black eye.

Police would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the attack, particularly the group of females, who may have videoed the incident, and the two men in the van who stopped to check on the victim, but couldn’t stop due to the traffic on Bonhay Road.

The offender is white, in his mid-20s, around 5’9” in height and of medium build. He had short black curly hair and a scruffy appearance. He was possibly wearing a light-coloured hoody and light-coloured jogging bottoms. Initially he was with another male who tried to stop him, described as a white man in his mid-20s with short blond hair and wearing jeans.

The victim is a white man with short brown curly hair. He was wearing a black hoody, dark blue jeans and a grey rucksack. His glasses were knocked off during the assault and he left them behind as he tried to escape.

Anyone who has any information about this attack is asked to contact police on 101 or via email at 101@dc.police.uk quoting crime reference number CR/086949/20.