Man ambushed in terrifying Fareham street attack and strangled by unknown man in front of wife
A man in his 30s was ambushed in a Fareham street and strangled by an unknown attacker as he walked with his wife.
The victim, who had been drinking in the Lord Arthur Lee pub, was suddenly thrown to the ground in Harper Way on October 19 where he smashed his head on the pavement before he was strangled.
The man was saved from the terrifying attack - which took place between midnight and half past midnight that morning - when a passing man and woman stopped the man, who then fled in a nearby vehicle. Police now want the witnesses to come forward with information.
A police statement said: “We’re appealing for two key witnesses after a man was strangled during an assault in Fareham.
“It was reported that between midnight and half past midnight that morning, a man in his 30s was walking to the bus station via Harper Way with his wife, having previously been drinking in the Lord Arthur Lee pub, when he was approached by a man he did not know. The man threw him to the floor, causing him to hit his head on the pavement, before proceeding to strangle him.
“The assault only stopped when two members of the public – described as a man and a woman – intervened, and the attacker got into a nearby vehicle. Officers have been conducting enquiries, including reviewing CCTV in the area. At present, we do not have a detailed description of the man who carried out the assault.
“It has been reported that those who intervened may have filmed some of this incident on a mobile phone. We are keen to hear from these two people as soon as possible to understand what they witnessed, and whether they have any footage of this incident occurring.
“Equally, we would appeal to anyone with information about this incident, to contact police on 101, quoting 44240460557. You can also submit information to us online here: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/
“Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their anonymous online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.”