Friday 25 March 2011

”I cut down trees, I eat my lunch, I go to the lavatory…”

“…and occasionally get attacked by knife-wielding lunatics.”

But that doesn’t scan so well…
A tree surgeon was recovering in hospital today after being stabbed in the head by a woman during a row over his work.
By a woman..?

The 48-year-old was attacked after he asked the woman to stay clear from council workmen cutting branches in Chiswick High Road. They had cordoned off an area around Prebend Mansions to protect the public when she tried to barge through.

One of the tree surgeons told her to stay clear for her safety but she pushed past him.

The woman then returned 45 minutes later with a nine-inch kitchen knife and brought it down on the tree surgeon's head.

The victim's co-workers believe the hard hat he was wearing took the brunt of the attack and might have saved his life.

Whew! Safety first, eh?
Ian Darvill who was also supervising foot traffic beneath the tree said the woman was intent on doing maximum harm to her victim.
When they catch her, bet her defence is that she didn’t

So, any clues to the identity of this woman?
Mr Darvill said he and his colleague had asked the woman to wait for just a few seconds while large branches were cut down.

"We were just asking her to wait for a few seconds while branches fell down.

"She started hurling abuse at us saying I can walk where I want innit and that sort of thing."
Hmmmm….
"She was absolutely crazy. She knew what she was doing when she came back with the knife but she was definitely a crackpot."

A witness said: "The woman attacked him with the knife and then calmly walked away."
OK, here’s the bit I don’t get. Several – presumably quite physically robust, given the profession – men allow a woman to walk away after stabbing one of their colleagues?

Is this totally-unjustified chivalry, or are we really down to the stage where people won’t even defend themselves from obvious criminals because of the fear of retaliation from their identity group, or police enthusiasm for arresting the victim?

Superintendent Paul Martin, deputy borough commander, said the workman suffered a fractured skull and was in stable condition.

Police are hunting a black woman, aged about 30, about 5ft 8in tall and wearing a hat.

Great description! Now, if only she isn’t smart enough to remove the hat

13 comments:

Anonymouslemming said...

If I were the one being attacked, I would fight back and try and restrain my attacker. But I will quite happily walk past someone being attacked in the street now.

I've tried to get involved between strangers before and the grief it caused to my life made it very clear to me that it's not worth the effort or the risk.

The police and the courts have made it clear that even if what you were doing was completely reasonable and socially responsible, they'll still drag you through so much hell that it just isn't worth bothering for strangers. Even when you finally win and no further action is taken, you've still lost. You've lost time, you've lost reputation, you've lost income, you've lost money.

All you gain is a healthy disdain for the whole system.

I fear for society, but I'm not prepared to suffer for it anymore than I already have.

Captain Haddock said...

I don't reckon much to this poor sods mates ..

It would appear that the "Race" card far outweighs the "Loyalty" card these days ..

I'm sorry .. but Black, White, or Martian .. Male, Female or "Can't- make-my-mind-up" attacking & injuring one of my former workmates would end up coming off very much second best ..

That said .. in the case of a total stranger .. I have to agree with Anonymouslemming ..

staybryte said...

Regarding the man's colleagues, I have a deal of sympathy for them.

Seeing someone inflict that kind of violence in broad daylight is a shocking, genuinely traumatic thing to witness.

They may well be physically robust and stronger than the woman concerned, but the thing to remember is that they're probably just ordinary working blokes who don't use murderous violence at a moment's notice on a regular basis.

Short of being Chuck Norris, the only sure fire way to disarm a lunatic with a knife, is to use a firearm. Your superior physical strength won't be much use if she gets in one thrust and cuts your heart open or your liver in half.

Their best bet would have been to get hold of scaffolding poles or the like for protection and follow her while calling the cops. Even better, tell them she has a gun in the hope of arranging death by cop.

Anonymous said...

She went for him with a knife. In an ideal world his mates should have been allowed to respond with a chainsaw.

bruce

Desk Jockey said...

"presumably quite physically robust, given the profession – men allow a woman to walk away after stabbing one of their colleagues?"

If it was one of my work colleagues my first concern would be for them and their injuries, rather than tackling the knife-wielding nutter.

Well, most of my work colleagues anyway ... except for [_______] and maybe [__________]

jd said...

I have a lot of sympathy for the people saying they wouldn't have intervened to stop her leaving for all the reasons mentioned.

But I'd have thought someone might at least have followed her to update the police response team on her whereabouts, particularly as it doesn't sound like she left at any great speed.

PT said...

Attempt physical restraint of a woman? A black woman!!?? You are quite right in thinking that the police would listen first (and only) to the black woman and the 25independent witnesses she would produce to prove that a racist gang of tree surgeons had attacked her, forcing her to defend herself with a knife she was taking to be sharpened by her son-in-law.

Branch line said...

I can see why people might have stood back. After the initial shock of seeing someone do something so unexpectedly violent, if she still had the knife in her hand you have enough indication she might be prepared to use it again.

The old saying goes: flee a knife, charge a gun.

Of course, they may catch the perp but I suspect her defence could be watertight: she could say she is an ecoloon determined to protect mother nature and fight racism, plus she was just testing his hard hat for elfin safety.

WV= glitero = daytime TV shopping channel fare

microdave said...

"a black woman" - Oh, you mean a person of no specific appearance?

Anonymous said...

*He disrespec me innit"

JuliaM said...

"I fear for society, but I'm not prepared to suffer for it anymore than I already have."

Sadly, that seems to have been the desired outcome of the progressives.

How easy it is, to take over a society that no-one will fight for...

"Their best bet would have been to get hold of scaffolding poles or the like for protection and follow her while calling the cops. Even better, tell them she has a gun in the hope of arranging death by cop."

Now, there's an idea!

"In an ideal world his mates should have been allowed to respond with a chainsaw."

:D

"Well, most of my work colleagues anyway ... except for [_______] and maybe [__________]"

Heh!

JuliaM said...

"...to prove that a racist gang of tree surgeons had attacked her, forcing her to defend herself with a knife she was taking to be sharpened by her son-in-law."

Hey, that wouldn't even me the most far-fetched excuse I've heard this week!

Dead Dog Bounce said...

Please let her be charged with attempted murder.

I struggle to understand how a knife attack on a helmet can cause a fractured skull. This was an attempt to kill.

Unfortunately, the CPS won't have the balls to charge that, or the competence to convict.