A Dundee man says he thought he was going to die when a gang of teenagers attacked him in a brutal and unprovoked late-night assault.
Greig Stott (30) was walking home through the Dryburgh area on Friday when he was attacked by around 12 youths and was left requiring seven stitches in his head.
After visiting Cineworld at around 11pm, Mr Stott had walked through the underpass from Camperdown to Linton Road when the attackers struck.
The gang insulted him before five or six of the teenage boys attacked him by kicking, punching and even butting him until he fell. As Mr Stott pleaded with the gang for mercy, they aimed kicks at his head as he lay defenceless.
A group of teenage girls cheered his attackers on.
After the assault, a badly bleeding Mr Stott crawled to the bus shelter. But still his ordeal wasn’t over.
A 15- or 16-year-old male then smashed a bottle against the side of the shelter and threatened to stab him. He then smashed the remnants of the bottle against Mr Stott’s head before running away, leaving his victim to run down the road looking for help.
The freelance photographer and part-time music promoter told The Courier he had feared for his life.X-rays”My face and head is a real mess,” he said. “I was at accident and emergency until 5am on Saturday getting X-rays done.
“I’ve got a few nasty bumps, bruises and cuts and seven stitches in the head but nothing is broken, thankfully, and my eyes are still intact.”
Mr Stott added, “I am just so relieved to still be here to actually be able to tell the tale, albeit a horrific and terrifying one.
“I will not be walking about in Dundee at night on my own again any time soon. This is very sad and scary that it’s not safe to be walking about in my own local area.
“I am just trying to keep my head up and not let it get me down and let this terrifying experience ruin my confidence.”
Mr Stott added, “I’m still going over it in my head. I’m getting a lot of messages of support from people and, although that brings it all back, it’s good to know that so many people care.”
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“I’m the least aggressive person in the world and it’s just disgusting that this can happen to someone walking on their own.”
Lochee councillor Alan Ross said, “I’m quite surprised this has happened in that area. It is fairly rare. Obviously I hope Mr Stott is okay.”
A police spokeswoman said officers were pursuing a positive line of inquiry.
The incident occurred shortly after police were called to Lochee Park on Friday night. More than 100 youths had congregated there after organising a party online through Facebook and Twitter although police said there appears to be no connection between the two incidents.
Police seized more than 40 litres of alcohol from the drunken schoolchildren in Lochee Park, some of whom had come to Dundee from as far away as Forfar.
Inspector David Scott said, “We’re talking about kids aged from 12 or 13 upwards and they are from all over Dundee. Parents have even been seen to be dropping their kids off.”
Police have made five arrests after a large melee at a multi-storey block of flats in Lochee following the park riot. Officers initially detained 10 people after the incident at Lansdowne Court. They have since charged five of the youths.
They said the individuals were expected to appear in court at a later date following the “major disturbance.”