Victim of motel thug 'feared for his life'

A MOTEL manager told yesterday how he feared for his life in a vicious assault which left him blinded in one eye.

Michael Brown, who runs the Yorkway Motel in Pocklington, near York, along with his partner Julia Greenwood, was lured outside on the evening of July 8, by a young man who told him he had reversed into his Mini Cooper in the car park outside.

When he bent down to inspect the so-called damage he was bludgeoned about the head, suffering fractures to his jaw, cheek-bones and eye-sockets.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The violence of the attack literally pushed his nose an inch back into his skull and also fractured his forehead and the back of his skull.

Mr Brown underwent just under 15 hours of surgery at Hull Royal Infirmary and was told last week that he had permanently lost the sight in his right eye.

Recalling the attack, he said: "I just felt a blow to the back of the head and one to the front of the face at which point I literally lost consciousness. The next thing I know was Julia and a friend of ours helping me under one of the gazebos and I just kept going in and out of consciousness.

"I did quite literally think this was it – my time is up."

Police are hunting two suspects, seen in a "tatty boy racer", a red Vauxhall Corsa with a black bonnet, but the investigation has run low on clues and Mr Brown decided to go public with a direct appeal to those involved.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: "Maybe it is the case that one of these chaps went a step too far."

He added: "Julia and I have thought this over dozens and dozens of times but we can't come up with a genuine motive for this attack."

Det Insp Colin Waddington said they had nothing forensically to tie to the offenders. He added: "This was a really cowardly, vicious attack and these are injuries Michael is going to have to live with for the rest of his life."

Related topics: