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$Police are appealing for witnesses to an apparent 'happy slapping' which left an elderly woman with a fractured eye$
Police are appealing for witnesses to an apparent 'happy slapping' which left an elderly woman with a fractured eye
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Elderly woman injured in apparent 'happy slapping'

By David Millward
December 05, 2012

An elderly woman suffered a fractured eye after being knocked to the ground in a possible 'happy slapping' attack.

The woman was walking along the path in Chalfont Park, Lower Earley, at about 11.45am on Monday when the incident happened.

She passed two teenage boys as she walked along the park, near to Marks and Spencer, when she felt a sharp blow between her shoulder-blades and fell to the ground.

Her attacker ran away and the woman managed to get to a nearby house for help.

She was taken to Royal Berkshire Hospital for treatment to a fractured right eye, which was swollen shut, cuts and bruises to her face and a bleeding nose. She has now been discharged.

Nothing was stolen in the assault and police believe it may have been a so called 'happy slapping' where strangers are attacked and the incident is recorded on a mobile phone.

Police would like to speak to the two youths on the path who were described as in their mid-teens, slim and wearing black hooded tops.

PC Julie Susel, from Loddon Valley police station, said: "I am incensed by this unprovoked and senseless attack on an elderly lady who was taking a walk in the middle of the day in a park area.

"The victim has suffered serious injuries and this crime has sent shock waves through her family.

"She is a loving grandmother and is devastated by the injuries to her face, as she doesn't want to upset her husband, daughters and grandchildren."

She continued: "My fear is that this could have been a so called 'happy slapping' in which case the offender may brag about this horrible assault to their friends.

"I would urge anyone who has any information about who is responsible for this attack or knows anything that may help with the investigation to contact me."

Call PC Susel on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Goth Monkey: I would of course be happy to slap them silly

extoo
08/12/2012 at 17:20

Well said Sheldon, well said.

voiceoftreason?
06/12/2012 at 13:51

This attack was neither happy, nor slapping. The morons who did it could so easily be looking at a manslaughter charge.

I don't personally believe this was 'happy slapping'. I have a hunch that the brainless gits were carrying out a copycat attack like the one in Plaistow last month. That attack was also unprovoked and illustrates just how vicious and life-threatening it can be. If you have the stomach, take a look - http://www.lbc.co.uk/watch-girl-punched-unconcious-in-unprovoked-attack-63166 - I believe this is likely to be the same as what happened in Lower Earley on Monday.

It is sickening. It is so sudden and vicious that the victim doesnt even have time to bring out their arms to stop their face hitting the concrete.

Please take a look at this example, because if you have ANY suspicion that you know who might have carried out Mondays attack, you now have no excuse - shop the thugs before the next attack results in a fatality.

Sheldon
06/12/2012 at 13:42

Does anyone know why it is called "Happy Slapping"?

Goth Monkey
06/12/2012 at 12:48

You are dead right R Matthews! Why didnt TVP think of it.

I know when I do the 101 number from my PAYG they know exactly where I am when I call.

Tenacious, Tilehurst
06/12/2012 at 12:45

I am assuming that both of these two youths had mobiles on them? And the police knew exactly where and at what time it occured? Surely just a matter of using reverse triangulation / mast information from mobile providers and seeing which 2 phone owners were in this area at this time? If they were PAYG with no address linked to the account, follow the signal back to where they went afterwards. Bang. Criminals caught.

R Matthews
06/12/2012 at 12:27

What a terrible ordeal for the elderly lady, I really hope the lady makes a full and speedy recovery. It is however, not just the bruising and cuts but the horrific memories of what happened to her that my take longer to heal.

Why on earth would someone want to do this to an elderly lady or any individual?

I also feel that calling it ‘happy slapping’, is glorifying the incident which was a totally unprovoked assault.

The two idiots that did this need to be caught, this could have been far worse, if this lady had suffered from a weak heart or another illness, then we could have had a fatality.

I would encourage anyone with information on this to contact the police, next time it could be your Mum or Nan!!

Dogface, Reading
06/12/2012 at 10:51

We all completely agree with you Extoo. Never understood why it was named "happy slapping" in the first. What kind of a sicko would you have to be to be made happy by slapping a stranger.

Extoo, I take it you would happily join the queue behind Shadow Rider?

Goth Monkey
06/12/2012 at 10:10

This should never be reported as happy slapping. It is actual bodily harm/common assault and mustn't be trivialised with media sensationalist jargon. These nasty little boys need to be dealt with severely.

extoo
06/12/2012 at 09:34

I would happily wait all day in the queue to slap em stupid. Cowardly little B******S.

Shadow Rider, Tilehurst
06/12/2012 at 09:28

Our judiciary needs to make trip to Pyongyang to see how North Korea deals with 'Happy slapping"

Nimrod Maximus, in another Galaxy far far away....
06/12/2012 at 07:42

Good lord. Why don't they call this 'happy slapping' exactly what it is - common assault - and treat the perps as such. Poor lady, I wish her well.

voiceoftreason?
05/12/2012 at 21:21

I hope the usual social media platforms have been duly trawled for potential evidence. W@**ers like these usually like to boast about their victories.