Driver tells of car park attack fear (From Swindon Advertiser)

Driver tells of car park attack fear

9:00am Monday 18th February 2013 in News

A MOTORIST has spoken of the terrifying moment he thought he was going to be beaten to the ground after he confronted a gang he believes smashed his car window.

Victor Chamberlain, of Old Town, was walking back to John Street car park at about 5pm on Friday when he heard glass smashing followed by a woman laughing, and saw the gang of three leave the car park.

When the 45-year-old compliance officer realised it was one of the rear windows of his Volvo estate he ran after the gang.

“I did a stupid thing and went after them and confronted them. They said it wasn’t them and got abusive and violent,” he said.

“One of them started pushing me around and kept telling his girlfriend to go around the corner. He was saying I didn’t know anything about him and how dare I jump to conclusions just because he is an alcoholic.

“I told him I jumped to that conclusion because he left the car park immediately after I heard the glass smash. He blamed it on a homeless guy sleeping next to the car.

“From the point he started yelling at me, I spent what felt like a long time edging away. I virtually got to the car park with him giving me several two-handed shoves to the chest. It was just building up to the moment he was going to hit me.

“He was standing with his nose touching my nose.”’ The man’s girlfriend got between the two men and Victor took the chance to get in in his car and lock it from the inside. “He started trying to put his fist through the driver’s window. He took a flying kick at the car and smashed the wing mirror,” he said.

“It was a remarkably stupid thing to go after three people but to be honest I was just annoyed. I’m not a physically violent person, I have never been in a fight in my life. I just lost my temper.”

The first man is described as in his 40s, about 5ft10 and lightly built. He was drunk and had short black hair and a black jacket and an eyebrow piercing.

The girl was shorter, in her 30s, with light hair and an orange jumper underneath a jacket.

Victor said he did not get a good look at the other man.

“I seriously recommend people don’t park in John Street car park. I park there every Saturday and there are always groups of people drinking away. Normally they just sit there drinking. I’m not parking there again,” he said.

In an unrelated attack on February 2, Andrew Lewellyn was beaten senseless as he waited for a taxi behind the Mailcoach pub in Carr Street. Witnesses or anyone with information should call Wiltshire police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.