A man is in hospital after suffering ‘serious head injuries’ in an attack which allegedly saw him beaten and verbally assaulted with homophobic slurs.
Content warning: This story includes topics that could make some readers uncomfortable.
He was found by police near a petrol station in Fleet, Hampshire just before 2:50am on 19 August, the Basingstoke Gazette reported.
It is believed that the victim went to a local nightclub with friends before visiting the gas station shortly after.
On his way back towards the town centre, he encountered two men – one of which he is said to have spoken with inside the club.
He was then subjected to a number of homophobic comments before the incident escalated into a physical altercation.
The victim was allegedly knocked to the ground after being punched in the head, with one of the perpetrators proceeding to stamp on him.
They are believed to have fled the scene in a dark coloured vehicle that is believed to be an Aldi.
Police arrested a 25-year-old man from Hayes on suspicion of GBH.
He has since been released under investigation and the appeal for more information remains ongoing.
“Officers wish to identify and locate the unknown man seen to leave the scene in the dark coloured car and are appealing for witnesses to come forward,” said a spokesperson for Hampshire Police. “Do you have any information about this incident that can assist this investigation? Please call police on 101, quoting 44220338242.”
Galop is an LGBTQ+ charity there for those who have experienced abuse or have been the victim of a hate crime. It can be contacted Monday to Friday from 10am-4pm on 0207 7042040 or at HateCrime@galop.org.uk. More information is available here.
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