Police release image of suspect who punched officer and gave elderly man bleed on brain in serious Covent Garden assault
20 December 2024, 17:09
Officers investigating the serious assault of two men in central London have issued an image of a suspect they are desperate to talk to.
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Police were called at 10.33pm on October 12, by an off-duty officer, who reported being punched in the back of the head in Covent Garden, near the Royal Opera House.
The suspect then approached another man in nearby King Street and asked him for directions, before assaulting him.
This man – aged in his 70s – was pushed to the ground, and suffered a bleed on his brain.
He temporarily lost consciousness, and required 15 stitches to the back of the head.
The officer, attached to the Central East Command Unit, was not injured.
The suspect is described as white, around 5ft 9in tall, of medium build, and wearing a black jacket.
He was last seen fleeing towards Bedford Street.
The two victims are not known to each other, and, at this stage, there is no clear motive.
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Detective Sergeant Glenn Smith – attached to the Central West Command Unit – said: “This was a serious incident which left a man in his 70s with life-altering injuries.
“The attacks were apparently random. We are appealing for witness accounts, or for any information that may assist the investigation.“
In addition, we are releasing a CCTV image of a man police wish to speak to in light of the incident. Do you recognise him?”
Anyone with information about either of the assaults should call 101, quoting CAD reference 7846/12OCT.
To make an anonymous report, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
