Couple viciously attacked and required hospital treatment after alleged homophobic attack
The Southend couple were attacked after leaving a pub
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
A couple were viciously attacked and required hospital treatment during an alleged homophobic hate crime.
After the couple – aged 25 and 28 – were at a work party in Southend town when they decided to leave and head home.
On their way, a group of men approached them and asked if they had a cigarette. When they said no, the group reportedly caught up to them and started claiming one of the men said something racist.
Despite the couple denying the racist comment, the couple launched at them and held one of the couple on the floor while repeatedly kicking him, the Basildon, Canvey and Southend News reported.
The other men was punched in the face multiple times and the gang took their phone away when he tried calling for police.
Luckily, they managed to escape and ran back to the pub and staff helped them but the morning after, one of the men’s mother took them to hospital and one of the them required some facial reconstruction.
The mother – who has not been named – said: “I had no idea what happened until the next morning.
“My son came into my room and told me not to freak out, but he had been attacked. His face was so swollen and red, and then I did freak out.
“We took them both to hospital and it wasn’t until the swelling went down that the doctors said he would need to have some reconstruction in his face.”
The men are now recovering and have reported the incident – which the mother believes was a homophobic hate crime – to the police.
She continued: “My son was on the phone to his sister at the time, and they were either holding hands or linking arms.
“They never did anything to intimidate or provoke their attackers, I think they purely must have been targeted because they were two men in a relationship.
“It clearly shows there’s a problem in Southend with attacks, so many came to me and said they’d heard of similar incidents happening in the town centre.
“It’s just got to stop. We are all trying to move past it but are very shook up.”