A MAN was left with brain damage after a vicious attack as he walked home from a night out.
Al Moreton woke up in hospital two days after the incident, with no memory of what happened.
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The 46-year-old was left with two bleeds on the brain, brain damage and four fractures to his skull, and has lost his job as a HGV driver as a result.
Doctors told him his injuries were consistent with being struck repeatedly, rather than a fall, he says.
But with police closing the case after being unable to find any CCTV footage, Al posted about it on Facebook before receiving an odd response.
He was sent a DM from a stranger telling him he may know who committed the attack but was too scared to give any further details.
Al had been attending a friend’s private birthday party at Bomba nightclub in Exeter on Friday, February 28.
He drove from his home in Cullompton, Devon, arriving at the club around 8pm – with the plan to get the last bus home at 11pm and pick up his car the next day.
However, Al is told by pals he became quickly intoxicated despite only having a few drinks, and fears he may have been spiked.
He told The Sun: “I don’t remember anything from after leaving the house due to my injuries.”
Al understands he left the club, in The Quay area of the city centre, at 10.30pm with the intention of heading for the bus station.
But he said witnesses told him he was seen walking the opposite direction towards the River Exe.
At around 11am the next day he was found by a passerby lying unconscious at Marsh Barton industrial estate, around two miles from the club.
“All I’ve been told is someone who spotted me picked me up and dropped me at the hospital,” he explained.
“He didn’t leave his name or anything, he just dropped me off and didn’t want to be involved in any other way.”
Al added: “I’d like to be able to thank the person. I’ve no idea who they are. It was a very strange event which has caused me massive problems.”
I’d like to be able to thank the person. I’ve no idea who they are. It was a very strange event which has caused me massive problems.
Al Moreton
He explained he had a “small recollection” of Saturday, March 1, “but thought that was a dream”, adding: “When I woke up on Sunday I realised it wasn’t a dream. I had family around me.”
Al said his injuries, according to hospital staff, “aren’t consistent with falling over – the injury to my forehead is consistent with being hit by something”.
He continued: “I’ve got no scraping – if I’d fallen over I would have hit something and scraped.
“I’ve just got particular points where I might have been hit by something.
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“They discounted the fact I had fallen over and must have been from an attack.”
Al said he reported it to police and they “investigated for a month or so” and was told officers had done door to door inquiries and searched for CCTV footage – but came up with nothing.
“It’s odd that there’s no footage of me, considering I ended up on an industrial estate where I assume there’s loads of cameras,” he said.
Judging by his route, Al believes he likely walked passed a couple of pubs too.
“Pubs would’ve been kicking out that sort of time and people would’ve been around and about,” he said.
Strangely, Al didn’t have any possessions missing when he woke up in the hospital.
“My phone was apparently missing but was actually picked up by a doctor who worked at the hospital, so I had it back when I woke up,” he explained.
“My wallet was there and there was no money missing, so it wasn’t a robbery.”
Roaming gang
Al theorised it could have been a gang roaming around who attacked him at random.
“They may have seen how vulnerable I was and decided to start something,” he said.
“I’m not a violent person, I wouldn’t have been aggressive, I never am when I’m drunk, I’m more of a lover than fighter when I’m drunk.”
He posted about the incident on Facebook a few days after getting out of hospital and then a couple of weeks ago noticed he had “four or five” messages in his spam folder.
“There was someone who had said that they thought they saw me actually not at the Quay but further away in a different direction, stumbling around drunk.
“I’ve got to hand that onto the police and see if they pursue that.”
He said another message was very strange. “Someone on Facebook said ‘I know who the people are’.
“They said ‘I’m a bit afraid to talk about it’ – but then said they would give further information for money, so I don’t know how real that was. I passed it onto police.”
The event Al was attending was a private, invite-only do for around 50 people.
Asked how likely it is he could’ve been spiked, he said: “I find it hard to believe, usually it’s women who get spiked. But speaking to someone else, they said actually all sorts of people get spiked because you’re left vulnerable and can be followed.”
He’s not sure if he was tested for substances in his blood while he was in hospital but said it wasn’t mentioned by the doctors.
Referring to his injuries, Al continued: “I had two bleeds on the brain, one on each side at the front and then four fractures around my right eye socket.
I’m not working, so struggling to pay rent and pay bills. It’s led to a dramatic change in my circumstances
Al Moreton
“That’s now been fixed and plated. One of the points I had a bleed I had some damage to the brain on that side, which has caused me to effectively lose my job because I’m a lorry driver.
“I’ve had my licences revoked for 12 months because I’m at a risk of seizures.
“I’m not working, so struggling to pay rent and pay bills. It’s led to a dramatic change in my circumstances.”
Al has been told he suffered “serious significant head injuries” but that his cognitive functions will improve over time.
“Like with a lot of injuries, it takes time while I recover – they said I should recover 100%, but they can’t be sure at this stage.”
Al says he was told by the DVLA he needed to prove he’s “less than a two percent risk” of seizures over a 12 month period before he can be given his licence back.
“I’ve not had a seizure and I don’t feel like I’ve been on the verge of having one,” he explained.
Al is currently suffering with post concussion syndrome, having spent a couple of months living at his mum’s home following the attack.
“I wasn’t bedridden but I was extremely tired and had constant headaches which were debilitating in themselves,” he said of that initial recovery period.
“I had constant headaches, woke up with them and went bed with them – I was drained and worn out by the injuries, so mostly stayed in bed.”
He added: “I’m keeping myself to myself. I’ve got a little bit of social anxiety after what happened.”
The Sun has approached Devon & Cornwall Police for comment.
Do you know more? Email ryan.merrifield@thesun.co.uk
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