I thought I'd been punched - but three strangers had stabbed me
'I think I've been stabbed.'
I didn't think I'd utter those words, but in 2020, walking back to my nan's house after her funeral, I was headed towards an underpass when three strangers appeared out of nowhere and attacked me.
There was a blow to the back of my head, then another to my back causing me to stumble forwards.
Luckily, I had enough of my wits about me to grab one of my attackers by the arm and shout: 'What are you doing?' but as quick as the assault started it was over. The three men ran away.
I started walking away again, dazed, dizzy and confused at what had just happened, assuming I'd been punched. And then I noticed my shirt.
What had been pristine white just moments before, was now soaked with blood.
From about the age of seven, my nan was my world.
Mum had left when I was a baby and dad was in and out of prison, so it wasn't long before she stepped in to give my brother and I stability.
Nan tended to our every need: buying our school uniforms, cooking our meals and washing our clothes. She was a strong, resilient woman and the beating heart of our family.
So when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in her eighties, it was hard to watch her slowly decline.
By that point I had a wife and two kids of my own and long moved out of my hometown, but I still made sure to check in often.
Sadly, in early 2020 I learned that she had cancer and wasn't having treatment. She said she was ready to go.
Of course that didn't make it any easier for us as a family when, in late February, she did indeed pass away – and it crushed me that I never quite made it to her bedside to say goodbye in time.
But I never could have imagined what would happen on the day of her funeral.
On March 27 2020, five weeks after she passed and quite early into the first lockdown, 16 of us socially distanced in a church to say goodbye.
After, as we couldn't have a traditional wake, a few of us (in our bubble) decided to go to Nan's and raise a glass in her garden. I got dropped off at the shops, which were walking distance away, to pick up beer.
A simple, routine, task.
Instead, as I walked home, those three men turned what was already a bad day into the worst of my life.
After they'd scattered a woman pulled up beside me in her car to ask if I was okay. That's the last thing I really remember.
At one point I was surrounded by paramedics and police. I could hear screaming and I vaguely remember telling someone to tell my kids I love them.
In hospital, I can recall a doctor saying I had internal bleeding and that I was being rushed to surgery. As they wheeled me to an operating room I caught a glimpse of my wife standing outside of A&E. I can only imagine how scared she must have been.
My first memory after waking up is seeing the scar down my stomach. I burst into tears.
Back then I was pretty naive about knife crime. I thought it happened to certain people and only in certain parts of the country. It didn't feel real or even possible that this could happen to me.
But as I now know, knife crime can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
After calming me down, the doctors and police explained I'd been stabbed eight times: four times in the back (one of which had ruptured my spleen), twice in the head, once under my chest and once under my arm.
I don't think I properly processed any of this. Even after I went home the numbness remained, but so did terror.
It didn't matter that I was now miles away from where the attack had happened – I was terrified to leave the house, even someone knocking on the door unexpectedly was enough to make me panic.
England and Wales has seen an 80% increase in knife crime in the last 10 years. According to a study compiled up to June 2024, there have been 50,973 police-recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument.
The same study highlights that there have been 225 murders involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales in the 12 months to June 2024, 78 of the victims were aged under 25, and 10 of the victims were aged under 16.
Kate Brooks, producer of Coronation Street, said: 'It's vitally important to shine a light on this topic, and really show the impact knife crime has on not only the victim and their loved ones, but also the wider community.
'With the alarming statistics, we want to do anything we can as a show to combat this violent endemic. After watching this harrowing, but important story unfold, if one person thinks twice about bringing a knife to a fight, then we've achieved our aim to raise awareness.'
The Ben Kinsella Trust has been working closely with the show on the storyline. You can find more information and support on knife crime by visiting their website
Unsurprisingly, my mental health declined as a result and, at my lowest, I didn't see the point in carrying on. I've only managed to learn how to navigate these feelings because of my wife and kids.
Even though it's been five years since the attack, and at my wife's urging I underwent therapy, I still struggle with big crowds and aggressive behaviour because I'm always afraid it could happen again.
And sadly that is a very real risk as, in the year ending March 2024, there were around 50,500 offences involving a sharp instrument in England and Wales. That's an increase of 4.4% from the previous year.
Even more worryingly, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 83% of homicide victims aged between 13 and 19 were killed with a sharp instrument in that same time period. More Trending
What more is it going to take for the Government to take this seriously?
Yes, the men who attacked me were all arrested, charged and sentenced. However they only received around seven or eight years jail time – it isn't enough considering the scars and trauma I have been left with for a lifetime.
I just want to live a normal life. I don't want to have to worry about my kids being stabbed or for them to have to worry about me being hurt again.
View More »
We must put an end to knife crime. Because if it can happen to me, it really can happen to anyone.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk.
Share your views in the comments below.
MORE: A stranger questioned my gender – but I'm a biological woman
MORE: My stepdad thought he was constipated — two weeks later he was dead
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Metro
28-05-2025
- Metro
I thought I'd been punched - but three strangers had stabbed me
'I think I've been stabbed.' I didn't think I'd utter those words, but in 2020, walking back to my nan's house after her funeral, I was headed towards an underpass when three strangers appeared out of nowhere and attacked me. There was a blow to the back of my head, then another to my back causing me to stumble forwards. Luckily, I had enough of my wits about me to grab one of my attackers by the arm and shout: 'What are you doing?' but as quick as the assault started it was over. The three men ran away. I started walking away again, dazed, dizzy and confused at what had just happened, assuming I'd been punched. And then I noticed my shirt. What had been pristine white just moments before, was now soaked with blood. From about the age of seven, my nan was my world. Mum had left when I was a baby and dad was in and out of prison, so it wasn't long before she stepped in to give my brother and I stability. Nan tended to our every need: buying our school uniforms, cooking our meals and washing our clothes. She was a strong, resilient woman and the beating heart of our family. So when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in her eighties, it was hard to watch her slowly decline. By that point I had a wife and two kids of my own and long moved out of my hometown, but I still made sure to check in often. Sadly, in early 2020 I learned that she had cancer and wasn't having treatment. She said she was ready to go. Of course that didn't make it any easier for us as a family when, in late February, she did indeed pass away – and it crushed me that I never quite made it to her bedside to say goodbye in time. But I never could have imagined what would happen on the day of her funeral. On March 27 2020, five weeks after she passed and quite early into the first lockdown, 16 of us socially distanced in a church to say goodbye. After, as we couldn't have a traditional wake, a few of us (in our bubble) decided to go to Nan's and raise a glass in her garden. I got dropped off at the shops, which were walking distance away, to pick up beer. A simple, routine, task. Instead, as I walked home, those three men turned what was already a bad day into the worst of my life. After they'd scattered a woman pulled up beside me in her car to ask if I was okay. That's the last thing I really remember. At one point I was surrounded by paramedics and police. I could hear screaming and I vaguely remember telling someone to tell my kids I love them. In hospital, I can recall a doctor saying I had internal bleeding and that I was being rushed to surgery. As they wheeled me to an operating room I caught a glimpse of my wife standing outside of A&E. I can only imagine how scared she must have been. My first memory after waking up is seeing the scar down my stomach. I burst into tears. Back then I was pretty naive about knife crime. I thought it happened to certain people and only in certain parts of the country. It didn't feel real or even possible that this could happen to me. But as I now know, knife crime can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. After calming me down, the doctors and police explained I'd been stabbed eight times: four times in the back (one of which had ruptured my spleen), twice in the head, once under my chest and once under my arm. I don't think I properly processed any of this. Even after I went home the numbness remained, but so did terror. It didn't matter that I was now miles away from where the attack had happened – I was terrified to leave the house, even someone knocking on the door unexpectedly was enough to make me panic. England and Wales has seen an 80% increase in knife crime in the last 10 years. According to a study compiled up to June 2024, there have been 50,973 police-recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument. The same study highlights that there have been 225 murders involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales in the 12 months to June 2024, 78 of the victims were aged under 25, and 10 of the victims were aged under 16. Kate Brooks, producer of Coronation Street, said: 'It's vitally important to shine a light on this topic, and really show the impact knife crime has on not only the victim and their loved ones, but also the wider community. 'With the alarming statistics, we want to do anything we can as a show to combat this violent endemic. After watching this harrowing, but important story unfold, if one person thinks twice about bringing a knife to a fight, then we've achieved our aim to raise awareness.' The Ben Kinsella Trust has been working closely with the show on the storyline. You can find more information and support on knife crime by visiting their website Unsurprisingly, my mental health declined as a result and, at my lowest, I didn't see the point in carrying on. I've only managed to learn how to navigate these feelings because of my wife and kids. Even though it's been five years since the attack, and at my wife's urging I underwent therapy, I still struggle with big crowds and aggressive behaviour because I'm always afraid it could happen again. And sadly that is a very real risk as, in the year ending March 2024, there were around 50,500 offences involving a sharp instrument in England and Wales. That's an increase of 4.4% from the previous year. Even more worryingly, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 83% of homicide victims aged between 13 and 19 were killed with a sharp instrument in that same time period. More Trending What more is it going to take for the Government to take this seriously? Yes, the men who attacked me were all arrested, charged and sentenced. However they only received around seven or eight years jail time – it isn't enough considering the scars and trauma I have been left with for a lifetime. I just want to live a normal life. I don't want to have to worry about my kids being stabbed or for them to have to worry about me being hurt again. View More » We must put an end to knife crime. Because if it can happen to me, it really can happen to anyone. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: A stranger questioned my gender – but I'm a biological woman MORE: My stepdad thought he was constipated — two weeks later he was dead MORE: 'When I die, who will look after my special needs son?'
The Courier
22-05-2025
- The Courier
Kinross-shire landscaper tried to swindle Alzheimer's patient out of £4,500 in blank cheque scam
A Kinross-shire workman tried to scam an elderly Alzheimer's patient out of £4,500 in a swiftly-rumbled cheque scam. Landscaper Mark McPhee took a blank cheque he had been given to buy materials but instead tried to cash the four-figure sum at a bank. The boozed-up crook wasn't given a penny and his victim was promptly notified of his callous attempt. He appeared at Perth Sheriff Court via a video link from HMP Perth and was sentenced to a community payback order. McPhee, 34, of St Serf's Place in Crook of Devon, previously pled guilty to committing the forgery offence on February 6 last year, while he was on bail. He uttered as genuine a cheque on which the name had been forged and tendered it to Bank of Scotland hoping to receive £4,500. Fiscal depute Andrew Harding said: 'The complainer in this matter is elderly, suffering early onset Alzheimer's. 'On February 7 2024, a friend of the complainer noticed that the complainer's handbag was not where it normally would be. 'It was found that three cheques were missing from the complainer's cheque book. 'On February 8, the complainer received a letter advising that one of these cheques had been attempted to be cashed, to the value of £4,500. 'The cheque was written payable to Mark McPhee.' Solicitor Alan Davie said: 'Mr McPhee advises that he had previously carried out work for the complainer. 'He had been at her address about a job and that he was provided with the blank chequebook by the complainer. 'He tells me it was his intention to purchase materials. 'Later in the day, he unfortunately consumed a quantity of alcohol – he's someone who has a significant alcohol dependency. 'He made the decision to fill out the cheque and try to pay that to himself. It's clearly not a very sophisticated fraud. 'It's fortunate that the bank were alert to this and he was unable to obtain any funds as a consequence. 'It's a breach of trust. Had he been sober, he wouldn't have acted in that way. 'Clearly alcohol is a feature in him making that terrible decision. 'He can only apologise for his conduct there and very much regrets that, he recognises that custody will be an option.' Mr Davie labelled the offence 'serious' and explained his client has been on remand since April 30. Sheriff Clair McLachlan placed McPhee under supervision for 18 months and ordered him to complete 250 hours of unpaid work in the next year. The sentence, imposed as a direct alternative to custody, also includes an alcohol treatment requirement. She said: 'I think you've recognised that this was a breach of trust involving a vulnerable adult.' McPhee was also sentenced for four other offences. He was admonished for three bail breaches and placed on a three-month 7pm to 7am curfew for acting in a threatening or abusive manner. On December 10 in 2023, he arrived at his partner's home in Saline at 1.50am uninvited, repeatedly struck the door demanding entry, stating there was a warrant out for his arrest.
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Staggering amount Rolf Harris' wife left in will after standing by his side
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