Man punched and kicked till his bones broke in frenzied 10-minute attack
A PAINTER and decorator suffered a fractured eye-socket, cheekbone and ankle in what police describe as a "frenzied and prolonged attack".
Mark McGirr, aged 44, has spoken out in an effort to encourage any witnesses who saw the beating to contact police.
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Mark, who is self-employed, said he was attacked as he got out of a taxi outside the Clifton Inn in Clifton Street, Greenbank, at about 6pm on Sunday.
Mark, from Crownhill, said: "A man walked up and I can remember struggling. He threw so many punches and kicks at me, it was unbelievable.
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"It went on for something like ten minutes. He just kept hitting and hitting me. I was kicked up against the wall of the public house and I remember it going on and on and on.
"I must have conked out at some stage because the next thing I remember was someone trying to hold me up."
Mark was treated at the roadside by paramedics from South Western Ambulance Service before being taken to Derriford Hospital.
He had suffered from a fractured eye-socket, a fractured cheekbone, two fractures to his ankle, lacerations to his fingers which required stitching, and severe facial and body bruising.
Mark said: "I've got lumps on my forehead, the back of my head, my ribs are sore, I feel sick and giddy all the time.
"I have to go to the eye infirmary and I've been told I may have long-term problems with my eye and ankle.
"I won't be able to work for a while. Even my phone went missing during the attack so I can't call anyone about work.
"There were a few witnesses around, or may have driven past, but no one has said anything to police. It would be nice if they came forward."
Detective Constable Graham Harding said: "This was a frenzied and prolonged attack. It was completely unprovoked and could have resulted in a much worse outcome for the victim.
"I would urge people who have information to contact us immediately."
If you can assist police, contact them on 08452 777444 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting crime reference number EC/10/7861.
A man in his forties has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and released on police bail until late September pending further inquiries.
Comments
by lydiaann
Saturday, October 06 2012, 11:45PM
“Don't waste your time pitying this low life. I know this guy. He is not a nice person......... http://tinyurl.com/8sku78x
This is only one of many convictions he's had, some for much worse than robbing an old lady. Whoever gave him a beating did it for a reason. I doubt it was a random attack.”
by Ben, Plymouth
Wednesday, August 04 2010, 3:57PM
“As usual someone has read the headline and automatically assumed it was a youth that commited the crime. When will people realise that youths are not always to blame and they are in the minority?”
by dave, mannamead
Tuesday, August 03 2010, 8:33PM
“i can relate to this type of thing......only on sunday i was walking along mutley at 10.00am pushing my one year old daughter and walking my dog , when i was glared at by 3 drunken hoodies..my crime? i have no idea, but i have worked all over the country and plymouth seems to be an incubator for cowardly acts of thuggery like this”
by dave, plymouth
Tuesday, August 03 2010, 7:31PM
“sorry guys, i have to disagree with the majority here. with many years of my misspent youth drinking to the early hours in town, i quickly learnt to avoid getting involved with any fights. you never know the reasons behind the fight or who's to blame (usually both parties). the last thing you need is to get involved and ending up in hospital your self - you won't get any thanks! best solution is to phone the police, they are the experts in dealing with this.”
by Dave, Devonport
Tuesday, August 03 2010, 12:57PM
“@ sweet lucy
The person who has been arrested is in his Forties,maybe you mean "Bring back the Home Guard".”
by sweet lucy, plymouth
Tuesday, August 03 2010, 11:36AM
“good case to bring back national service. Save money on social cut down youths with no real use in society and turn them in to real men not animals.Truely disgusted at the lack of help given in a time of dire need by those near by.Its the new social disease YELLOW fever fight it now.”
by Big Rab, Plymouth, England pl7
Tuesday, August 03 2010, 9:44AM
“Unbelievable, it really is. What Darren said, i couldn't agree more. there really are some spineless cowards about, especially the person what attacked this poor man, but more so those that stood from a safe distance, I wouldn't say too scared, but just plain gutless to help out the unfoirtunate victim.”
by Jo, plymouth
Tuesday, August 03 2010, 9:35AM
“I feel for this man, I was attacked in broad daylight (about 4pm in the afternoon) on a Saturday in my early teens for no reason by a large and feral teenage girl! It was in broad day light with about 20 people around watching! This went on for about 10/15 mins until the girls friend told her to ¿leave it,¿ after some men in a nearby pub shouted at her to get off me and they ran off. Not a soul came to my aid during, even the men went back into the pub. It was only AFTER the girls had run off and I walked/stumbled to a group of people 10 feet away that they offered to help.
I am in my early 20¿s now and this still effects me. I hope whoever did this to this man is caught and charged as we do not need people like this on our streets!
I also hope the taxi driver feels ashamed, as SURELY he would have witness the beginning of the attack and drove off??”
by Darren, Plymouth
Tuesday, August 03 2010, 9:20AM
“How the hell is an attack like this allowed to continue for 10 minutes in broad daylight without somebody intervening? That, to my mind is just as big an indictment on our society as the fact that there are idiots out there who are capable of attacks like this. I hope the gutless wonders who stood by as this poor bloke got kicked around the street are suitably ashamed of themselves.
Unbelievable!”
by Lee, Plymouth
Tuesday, August 03 2010, 8:48AM
“What the heck is going on in Plymouth, all of a sudden we seem to be having a crime wave blighting this city. It's very rare that I venture outside of my house because of these ferel neanderthals. I use to go clubbing and pubbing alot but now everytime I do there's always a fight going on. Get well soon Mr McGirr and like the last poster said I hope they catch this person before he actually kills someone.”