Race-hate gang in attack on student

Aug 4 2007 by Caroline Innes, Liverpool Daily Post

A LIVERPOOL-BORN Asian university student was attacked with a screwdriver and racially abused in Mossley Hill as he walked home from Tesco with friends.

The 19-year-old, who studies German and Spanish at Liverpool University, was hit in the temple three times after refusing to answer questions about his nationality.

He was left bleeding heavily and taken to the Royal Liverpool Hospital by ambulance, where he has been receiving treatment.

Officers from Merseyside Police's Sigma Hate Crime unit launched an investigation following the assault in the early hours of Friday.

The group of white attackers, who were in a silver Renault Clio, had begun the abuse as they left the Mossley Hill branch of Tesco, in Mather Avenue, and walked along Elm Hall Drive.

Three of the five friends are of Asian ethnic origin but raised in Liverpool.

The three men in the car were all in their early 20s and started revving the car’s engine and lunging forward as if they were trying to run the group over.

The father of one of the students, who was too scared of reprisals to give his name, said as the abuse escalated, three of the friends fled into a garden and took refuge, leaving his son, who is half Chinese, and his friend alone.

He said: “These are just five friends who were making their way home from a night out and became the victims of racial abuse.

“At first they thought this was just an altercation outside Tesco but then the car full of men started following them and were driving into them, mounting the kerb time and time again.

“One of them went back to the car, got a screwdriver and stabbed him three times in the temple with it.

“My son was in shock but managed to call an ambulance, and passers-by and residents had phoned the police. We are all so stunned that this could happen and now just want the police to take this case extremely seriously.

“This was a racially motivated attack and those responsible for such appalling behaviour must be traced.”

The victim, who has had to have two of his wounds stitched, said: “It was really distressing. They kept asking me if I was from Afghanistan and I just tried to ignore them.

“This has happened to me before and I have always found that it is best just to try and ignore it.

“But when they pulled their car up on to the kerb, I knew I was going to be attacked.”

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: “Detectives from the Liverpool South Sigma Hate Crime Investigation Team are now investigating.”

POLICE are appealing for anyone with information, or who may have witnessed the incident, to contact them on 0151 777 5037 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

carolineinnes