Shocking video shows grandad, 62, beaten and ‘left for dead’ on street after ‘brushing’ arm of young woman

Steve Hopkins

The 62-year-old victim decided to walk home to enjoy the ‘nice weather’

Shocking CCTV footage captured the moment a Sikh priest was savagely beaten and “left for dead” in a “mindless” broad daylight attack.

The victim, who has not been named, was left with permanent life-changing brain damage and is still in a hospital bed two months after the attack in Manchester city centre.

The 62-year-old was left unconscious in a “pool of blood” in the middle of the road after being attacked by a stranger as he walked home “enjoying the nice weather” around 6.30pm on June 23.

After beating the dad-of-three, the attacker fled on foot. Police on Saturday renewed an appeal for information as the victim’s family made a statement, branding the attacker a “cowardly thug”.

Police believe the victim may have accidentally brushed a woman’s arm as he strolled through the city’s Northern Quarter.

CCTV footage of the attack shows the suspect close behind the priest as he walked down the street, before he launched a barrage of blows to his head.

The victim could then be seen collapsing to the ground and laying motionless as his attacker walked off.

The man’s family said his life had been “tragically altered forever” when “a thug cowardly committed this heinous act, leaving him in a pool of blood with catastrophic permanent life-changing brain damage and walked away as if it was normal behaviour.”

The statement said the “devoted husband and father who has lived, worked and supported a community in a city he has loved for thirty-seven years” can not even leave his hospital bed.

“He worked long hours every day to help his children live the life he never got to and make sure we were raised to help and inspire future generations, raising a teacher, a pharmacist and a soon-to-be doctor,” the statement reads.

“A Sikh priest was left for dead on the bustling streets of Manchester, a route he has walked home every day, while people watched on.

“He was mindlessly and violently attacked and the sick, cowardly individuals are still out there.”

Police launched an appeal for information Saturday and said officers are looking to speak to a man and woman, who they think may be able to help with the investigation.

The victim’s family statement added: “We read horrific things in the news but never expect it to happen to one of your own, a man who could not say a single hateful or negative comment, who taught those around him to practice kindness.

“We have lost the life of the party, the light in amongst any darkness in our lives and the laughter and joy he brought home every day, has disappeared and left our hearts vacant.

“We will sadly never get the man back who left for work that day and thought he would walk home to enjoy the nice weather.

“We appeal to anyone who knows anything or knows the offender to come forward, it is more than two months since the incident, and we are no closer to finding them and bringing them to justice for their actions.

“Our husband/father lives in a hospital bed with life changing injuries not knowing what the future holds.

“Please, please act today not out of hate but to stop this happening again to someone else and tearing another family apart, as we would not wish this anguish on anyone else.”

Detective inspector Mark Astbury of Greater Manchester Police said the harrowing clip shows the “severity and mindlessness” of the assault.

He added: “We are keen to identify the man and woman pictured in the above attached images, as we believe they may be able to assist us with our investigation.

“We took the decision to release the CCTV footage with the family’s permission, simply to show the severity and mindlessness of this attack and why we need to make sure the offender is found and faces the consequences of his appalling actions”.