Assault victim who suffered significant facial injuries speaks out after man jailed
“I haven’t really slept since the incident happened. I constantly wake up during the night because I am always thinking about what has happened to me. I am anxious and I haven’t processed what’s happened.”
These are the words of a victim whose face was left disfigured after he was attacked with a power tool.
In March this year the victim was attending an event in Runcorn Road in Leicester when he was involved in an argument with 26-year-old Deen Garratt.
Garratt threatened the victim inside the property and one of the witnesses stated that she heard the defendant tell the victim: “I’ve got an angle grinder in my van, I’m going to kill you”.
Their argument continued in the street before Garratt attacked the victim in the back of his van using an angle grinder.
Witnesses described seeing Garratt on top of the 26-year-old victim and attacking his face with the tool.
They pulled Garratt off the victim and called the emergency services. Garratt left the scene in his van and was arrested the next day.
He was charged with attempted murder but at a hearing earlier this month he pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
In his Victim Personal Statement (VPS), the victim said: “I’ve suffered deep damage to my face, when I came home from hospital after the incident my sisters couldn’t look at me, they were scared of my face and didn’t want to upset me.
“I understand why people look at me, I am finding it hard to see people I know because of the way I look now.
“Once the medication had worn off the pain was excruciating. While I was in hospital, I had 50 stitches to my face and a splint put in my finger. I’ve had to visit the hospital on a regular basis since the incident and now I still don’t have any feeling in my nose or cheek, I don’t know if I ever will.
“I have suffered panic attacks and feel safer when my family are around, I have only just started to leave the house, but I still feel anxious. I haven’t been able to work since the incident, my job requires me to interact with customers and clients and I don’t know how people will react when they see me.
“If I had been in the back of the van for a few seconds longer I could be dead now and sometimes I do think I shouldn’t be here now. I just want to concentrate on getting back to normal as he has tried to ruin my life.”
Today (Monday 21 September) Garratt of Leicester Road, Enderby, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
Detective Constable Megan Wolstenholme was the investigating officer, she said: “This was an appalling and sustained attack which left the victim with devastating injuries that required significant medical treatment and have had a lasting impact on his life.
“The injuries inflicted were severe and could easily have resulted in even more serious consequences.
“I would like to commend the victim for the courage and resilience he has shown throughout both his recovery and this investigation. I also want to thank the witnesses who came forward and assisted police by providing accounts of what they saw.
“Violent offences of this nature have no place in our communities. We hope today's sentence provides the victim with a sense of justice and sends a clear message that those who commit serious acts of violence will be brought before the courts and held accountable.”
