Woman tells of horror attack in Horsham Park

The woman was attacked by two men as she made her way through the park on Friday afternoon, January 20.

The 58-year-old care worker was making her way back to a client’s house when she was approached by the men at about 4.15pm.

She said: “I was walking down the path, heading away from the boxing club and car park, parallel to North Parade.

“I was about half way down when I looked up and noticed two men coming towards me.

“Without saying anything, they both grabbed one of my arms and dragged me back down towards the boxing club. They threw me to the ground and hit me on the side of my head.

“They began trying to wrestle my handbag from me, pushing and pulling to try to get me to let go.”

The victim said she was screaming ‘no no’ and managed to fend off the attackers. “One of them gave up and ran off before the other, but they both headed towards the car park/boxing club,” she said. The woman was helped by passers-by until police arrived.

She was left with bruising to her knees and wrists, had a cut and bruising on the side of her face and suffered a black eye which had swollen shut.

“I found the violence of the attack shocking and unnecessary,” she added. “The two men physically assaulted me before they even made an attempt to take my bag, and neither of them said a word throughout which makes me believe the attack was premeditated, and I just happened to be the first victim they came across.”

Police cordoned off the path as they carried out investigations late into the evening on Friday.

One of the men was described as white, 5ft 8ins, of stocky build, with dark brown hair and a lighter, shortish beard. He was wearing a dark green zipped top, dark blue jeans and thick-soled brown leather boots. The second man was also white, taller, slim and neatly dressed in dark clothing. He wore a black woven beanie hat and may have had his trousers turned up.

Anyone with any information is asked to email [email protected] or call 101 quoting serial 923 of 20/01.

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