Warning: Unprovoked attack on Dog Kennel Hill (Sat 23rd)

[chicknic]

My boyfriend was sprayed in the face today, by what we suspect was a mace or pepper spray. He was just walking home from the gym and was at the top of Dog Kennel Hill when it happened at 3.30pm this afternoon. Three men, late teens early twenties were walking in the opposite direction (down the hill towards ED) and one of them just took out a cannister and sprayed his face as he walked past. He was in immense pain, and his face has felt like it is on fire for the past two hours and he did have diffulty seeing. Luckily he was very near home and managed to run back and rinse it in cold water before going to hospital.

He has filed a report with the police, who said they have sent a patrol car looking for them. A brief description, they were black males, all around 5ft 10/11, one was slighty skinnier and he was wearing a black jacket. The guy that sprayed him was wearing a greyish duffle coat which had a hood. He didn't get a chance to look properly at the third individual.

They didn't even run off after the attack, they just walked away whilst by boyfiend was on the floor. If you suspect you may have seen them please call the police on 0300 123 1212.

Thanks.

[sakurasteve]

it hurt lots and put a dent in my already pretty low faith in society, am now working on my plan to build a time machine and live in the country in the middle class 19th century where you can walk the street without fear of being maced.

[Penguin68]

to build a time machine and live in the country in the middle class 19th century - As long as you can travel back if you need to see a doctor or dentist.

[*Tee*]

Hope your boyfriend feels better soon, scumbags........but the phrase what goes around, comes around springs to mind, and the thugs will get that back maybe worse.

I hope whatever you both do, you both carry on as normal, of course it will make you weary of passing strangers in the street, and you will have your guards up, but never make something like this, change your normal day to day life! i hope they get caught real soon .

[Loz]

If I were you and I had a time machine, I'd take 10 mates and 11 cricket bats and head back to 3.30pm this afternoon...

[PeckhamRose]

I am so sorry to read this terrible thing to happen to your boyfriend.

I am so glad to read it was reported to the police.

Best wishes to him, and of course you.

[SteveT]

Chicknic wrote:- A brief description, they were black males, all around 5ft 10/11, one was slighty skinnier and he was wearing a black jacket. The guy that sprayed him was wearing a greyish duffle coat which had a hood. He didn't get a chance to look properly at the third individual.

I shall keep an eye open for said creep(s)

A horrible and terrifying experience for your guy,

but that the three strolled off as if it was nothing.......it is sooo frustrating and frightening of course.

[chicknic]

Thanks for all your messages, he is fine now. It was a bit of a shock earlier, but I guess these things can happen anywhere. No time machine required I think, faith in humanity has been restored by a couple of friends (met through the forum) who have offered to semi-manage our flat while we are travelling, such a generous offer. I genuinely try and see the good in most people, and we won?t let one incident affect that.

[northlondoner]

Hope you are both ok . Hope the attackers get what's coming to them and make the connection and are therby deterred from further thuggery. Really good you reported it and have come on here to give us a propotionate and sensible warning. Even better that you are recovering faith in humanity . Power to you both

[ryedalema]

My husband was attacked outside Denmark Hill station just before our daughter was born (December) - over a parking space! Don't think I should say too much as we are pursuing this with the Police but just wanted to say that having witnessed him being struck to the ground and coming up with blood all over his face was the scariest thing I have ever seen! Our 2 year old wasn't that impressed either. He's been to see Victim Support and says they have really helped. My husband isn't the type to ask for help from anyone, so this is very high praise. I hope you also get to make use of this invaluable support service. Sadly it's further rocked our confidence in 21st century values- but they weren't that great to start with - sigh.

[sazzle]

Goodness me you poor things, hope you are both recovering, and not taking it personally.

What an absolutely ridiculous thing to do. What is wrong with kids nowadays they have so much anger?

So glad you have reported it, hopefully they will be caught soon.

[thebestnameshavegone]

Just bumped into a black male wearing a black jacket as I was walking through Peckham.

Against my better judgement I pinned him down and put him in a sleeper hold in an attempt to force a confession.

After a couple of hours of fierce interrogation it turned out I had the wrong guy.

Could have sworn it was the guy you describe above though.

[JohnL]

Got bashed on the head with a Plastic bottle the other night - just laughed and so did the gang of lads that did it. But probably was a dare and could have been a glass one if I was unlucky.

[sakurasteve]

thebestnameshavegone Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just bumped into a black male wearing a black

> jacket as I was walking through Peckham.

>

> Against my better judgement I pinned him down and

> put him in a sleeper hold in an attempt to force a

> confession.

>

> After a couple of hours of fierce interrogation it

> turned out I had the wrong guy.

>

> Could have sworn it was the guy you describe above

> though.

thanks very much mate, next time I will try and get a bit of a better description for you although I was slightly impaired visually with the mace and all that jazz so hope you understand

[Polly D]

Let's not turn this into a race issue 'thebestnameshavegone'. Seems to me sakurasteve has experienced something totally out of order and is appealing for witnesses, and support. Appalling attack ss, and I hope very much you aren't affected too badly for too long.

[Jeremy]

thebestnameshavegone - don't be a dickhead please.

[Penguin68]

Polly D wrote (very reasonably) Let's not turn this into a race issue But if this had been about a black man being maced by three white men (I am assuming, perhaps wrongly, that the current victim is white) it is actually quite likely that it would initially have been investigated as a 'hate crime'.

Which probably says more about our society's current attitides to race etc. that it says about the current (and quite awful) case.

[SCSB79]

thebestnameshavegone Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just bumped into a black male wearing a black

> jacket as I was walking through Peckham.

>

> Against my better judgement I pinned him down and

> put him in a sleeper hold in an attempt to force a

> confession.

>

> After a couple of hours of fierce interrogation it

> turned out I had the wrong guy.

>

> Could have sworn it was the guy you describe above

> though.

You sir, are a trumpet.

Giving descriptions of the criminals with as much detail as possible, including skin colour, is the best way to narrow down the suspects.

If the victim had just said they were three guys, wearing hoodies etc that doesnt really help does it? You just seem to want to be offended for no real reason.

How do the police describe people they are looking for????

I hope they get caught and banged up as they deserve. And the fella makes a full and speedy recovery - ignore allthebestnames... attention seeker seems to be the case here.

[legalbeagle]

Sakurasteve - wishing you a speedy recovery from a horrible incident. I'm impressed that you stayed calm enough to give any kind of description of anyone, especially given you could barely see. I witnessed a robbery once and was so freaked out I was utterly hopeless at giving a description, beyond saying it was probably a bloke. I hope they get caught, and I hope you regain your equilibrium enough to see that, insensitive posters aside, this is quite a nice place to live.

[TonyQuinn]

thebestnameshavegone Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just bumped into a black male wearing a black

> jacket as I was walking through Peckham.

>

> Against my better judgement I pinned him down and

> put him in a sleeper hold in an attempt to force a

> confession.

>

> After a couple of hours of fierce interrogation it

> turned out I had the wrong guy.

>

> Could have sworn it was the guy you describe above

> though.

Taking the mick of someone who has suffered an ordeal like that is really below the belt. You were sir, may I presume, attempting to make a social comment using the medium of sarcasm. You failed and frankly should be ashamed of yourself.

A pathetic post.

[pk]

TonyQuinn Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> thebestnameshavegone Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Just bumped into a black male wearing a black

> > jacket as I was walking through Peckham.

> >

> > Against my better judgement I pinned him down

> and

> > put him in a sleeper hold in an attempt to force

> a

> > confession.

> >

> > After a couple of hours of fierce interrogation

> it

> > turned out I had the wrong guy.

> >

> > Could have sworn it was the guy you describe

> above

> > though.

>

> Taking the mick of someone who has suffered an

> ordeal like that is really below the belt. You

> were sir, may I presume, attempting to make a

> social comment using the medium of sarcasm. You

> failed and frankly should be ashamed of yourself.

> A pathetic post.

i assumed the post was directed towards SteveT (who's keeping an eye out for black males of average height) rather than the victim - it's an outrageous offence so i certainly hope that the perparators are caught

[chicknic]

I don't think they will be caught. Steve couldn't see, so unless there were any other witnesses that come forward (unlikely) they would never have enough evidence. He was fine by late evening, enjoying a drink with friends, so no lasting harm done. My main concern is that the individual may do the same or worse to someone more vulnerable, who isn't stumbling distance from their home.

On the issue of race - I did debate not putting their ethnic origin on my OP, as I know there are a lot of negative stereotypes which we didn't want to contribute to, but the police asked for it in their description so I thought it was sensible to include it.

There is nothing further to say really. My original intention was just to warn people in case they came across them on Saturday. Although reading back, I realise that the description may not have been very useful, I just felt it was important to share at the time as we were so shocked by it all.

Thanks for your messages of support, and I'm sure my next post will be something far more cheery!

[Loz]

chicknic,

It's also important in case someone else suffered a similar attack on the day. It wouldn't be too surprising if they had tried it on others. The more evidence the cops can piece together, the better.

[northlondoner]

As probably one of the few black people on this thread I have to say I think the OP and her partner were very measured and responsible in their descriptions. Race was part of an honest and really quite detailed description. It's the uselessly generic 'black youth' label you sometimes get on here that gets up my nose. Pick your battles allthebestnames. There are plenty of them to fight but this ain't one of them.

[ratty]

well said