“They left me for dead – I thought I was dying.”
Ben Dearlove’s face is cut and bruised after being beaten to the ground and his head stamped on while walking home from a drinking session in Spalding.
Speaking from his home in London Road yesterday (Monday) he said: “I’ve only had about three hours sleep because every time I close my eyes I get flashbacks.
“It was terrifying, but I want to talk about it because I don’t want anyone else to go through this.
“Next time I go out I’m getting a taxi home.”
The 25-year-old, who works for Kerry Foods, said he had been out with friends on Friday afternoon at the Pied Calf and the drinking session went on until the evening.
He said: “I went to the Punchbowl at about 10pm and saw a friend who said ‘are you coming for one?’
“At about midnight I’d had enough and thought I’d get some food and something to drink from the Hot and Spicy and walk home.
“I took the shortest route past the Pied Calf, round the old Royal Mail building and cut through to opposite the council offices in Priory Road.
“I noticed a couple of lads following me and then they started to jog. I started to jog too, but then stopped because I got stitch.
“Then I heard them whispering – one said you go that way and I’ll go this way.
“I think it was a bottle that smacked me across the back of the head.
“Then one of them smacked me in the eye.
“I’d had two false teeth fitted and they punched them out. I was on the floor pleading ‘no more, no more’ but one of them stamped on my head.
“It happened really fast and I was in and out of consciousness, but when I came round there was blood everywhere.
“There was no-one at home so I made my way back to the Punchbowl because I knew there would be someone there I knew.
“When the bouncer saw me he told me to go to the toilets because I was covered in blood.
“I must have collapsed in the toilets because the next thing I knew I was in the garden and someone was calling for an ambulance.
“I was five-and-a-half hours at Pilgrim Hospital and the ambulance man said I was lucky because the attackers had shown no mercy and left me for dead.
“I’m really grateful to them for bringing me back to Spalding because I don’t know what I would have done.”
Police are looking for two Englishmen, both about 5ft 10ins tall and one wearing a grey flat-peaked baseball cap and dark top.
Ins Jim Tyner said although Mr Dearlove’s wallet was missing they were treating it as an assault.
He said: “Fortunately there are very few incidents such as this in Spalding. But were are treating it seriously and would welcome any information to help our investigations.”
Witnesses should call police on 101, quoting incident 23 of the 10th.