A 70-year-old Dundee cyclist is facing an operation to have a metal plate inserted into his eye socket after being seriously assaulted by another cyclist.
The retired artist, who is profoundly deaf, suffered a double fracture when he was punched in the face by a man believed to be around 50, after being the victim of a cycle rage incident in the city centre.
The shocked pensioner, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, was followed through various streets to the cycle path at Seabraes before he was assaulted on Monday afternoon.
He was knocked cold for a few seconds but saw his attacker cycle off towards the rail bridge area.
After dragging his bike home, the pensioner collapsed in his doorway and his distraught wife called an ambulance. He is now suffering from double vision and is due back at hospital on Thursday in preparation for an operation on Friday.
His wife told The Courier: “He had been working in town where he volunteers. He had just got on his bike and he was aware of another cyclist shouting something like ‘You cut me up there’.
“My husband said he told him he was only doing about two miles an hour and then the man started shouting and swearing at him, telling him he must be blind and deaf and stuff like that.
“He told him he didn’t want to have an argument about it and cycled off.
“He said he thought he was being followed but couldn’t see anybody but when he got to Seabraes the man just shouted and swore and came up and punched him. He was knocked off his bike and hit his head on the path and was out for a few seconds.
“When he picked himself up he saw the man going towards Barnetts at Riverside. He says he spoke with a Scottish accent but he didn’t sound like he came from Dundee.”
The couple, who live in the West End, say they have been both shocked and upset by the incident, while the man is also embarrassed by the whole sickening incident, which happened between 12.45pm and 1pm on Monday.
“He’s terribly upset about it,” his wife said. “He’s in an awful state and he’s pretty shocked by what happened. I only knew something was wrong when he collapsed at the front door of the house.
“He is profoundly deaf and can’t use a mobile phone to call for help. He said he thought his jaw was broken but it’s his eye socket. To think somebody could do that and just leave him there.
“He hit his head when he fell that could kill somebody.”
A spokesperson for Police Scotland confirmed the victim had been cycling in the Nethergate area when the incident began.
They said the other cyclist seemed to take umbrage at him and shouted at him near Nandos Restaurant.
“The elder of the two men cycled on down Union Street, on to Greenmarket and along Seabraes to the cycle path behind Sensation,” the spokesperson said.
“He realised the other cyclist was following him and so he stopped. The other man got off his bike, approached him and swore and assaulted him.”
The assailant was described as being about 5ft 9in tall, of stocky build with grey hair and grey stubble. He was wearing grey clothing.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or who saw the cyclists anywhere is asked to contact police on 101, or speak to any officer.