Thugs attack dad in Chippenham (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Thugs attack dad in Chippenham

7:00am Friday 3rd July 2009

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Dad Donald Murphy has been left hospitalised after a vicious late night attack in Chippenham left him with a serious bleed on the brain.

Mr Murphy, 53, was walking to his mother’s home in Clover Dean in the early hours of Sunday when he was smashed over the head from behind as he made his way along Spanbourn Avenue.

The father-of-four was later found by a member of the public lying unconscious in the road and taken to the Great Western Hospital in Swindon with a broken nose, lacerations to the head and a swollen skull.

He was released from the hospital the following day but, after vomiting and complaining of headaches, he went to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where scans revealed he had a brain aneurysm.

Mr Murphy, who remains in hospital, said: “I cannot remember much about the attack – I was walking back and then I woke up in hospital.

“I remember seeing two lads just before it happened – but it was all done so quickly.

“I now have to wait for further scans before the doctors can decide the best course of action “I would urge anyone who saw anything to come forward to stop this happening again.”

Mr Murphy’s mother Eileen said: “He is a 53-year-old man – he was not looking for a fight.

“He had had a drink but if you can’t go out for a drink without getting beaten up or attacked what kind of world do we live in?

“His head was split open down the back and his face was a mess.

“These thugs are getting away with it – the family are worried sick.”

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police appealed for witnesses to call PC Paul Brewster on 0845 408 7000.

In a separate attack just hours earlier, a 39-year-old man was set upon by six men in the car park of Chippenham train station.

He was smashed over the head with a set of crutches and left at the station before being taken to hospital and given eight staples to the back of his head.

British Transport Police are reviewing CCTV as part of their inquiries.

They are keen to hear from any witnesses, who they have asked to contact BTP free on 0800 40 50 40, quoting incident number 703 of 27/6/09 or to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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