Father-to-be left in '˜pool of blood' after attack in Burgess Hill

Isaac Sydenham, 23, of West Street, Burgess Hill, was walking home from the Block and Gasket pub in Church Road on Sunday, February 11, when he was attacked by a group of youths who smashed a bottle over his head.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the attack, which happened at around 9.50pm.

Isaac said: “I was on the phone to my wife Julie when it happened. I was looking down and felt a shoulder barge, then one of them swung for me and others got involved.

“It was quite distressing for my wife who heard it all. She is eight months pregnant, we are having a little girl.

“My vision went after it happened and I couldn’t get my hands to work when I was trying to use my phone to ring someone.

“I then started to panic and was on my knees in a pool of blood. I luckily was able to use Siri and called a friend who came down. My wife also rushed down and came with me to the hospital.”

Isaac was taken to the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath by the police after having to wait two hours for an ambulance.

“I was at the hospital for six hours, doctors were worried about the state of my brain,” he said.

“I wasn’t sure what the damage was at this point, I thought my life was in danger for a second. I was in severe shock, and was trying to keep calm.

“I had a CT scan and everything was fine luckily and I was treated for cuts and bruises. I am amazed as the bottle could have done a lot more damage.”

The couple moved to Burgess Hill a couple of months ago. They were looking for somewhere quieter to live, for their daughter to grow up. Isaac is a guitar tutor and his wife Julie, 30, works in recruitment in Brighton.

“I am worried that my daughter is going to grow up here with this sort of thing happening,” said Isaac.

“I am incredibly nervous to walk around the place – I shouldn’t have to feel like this – you just don’t expect something like this to happen.”

Isaac has thanked the community and emergency services since the attack. “The police, doctors and nurses were fantastic,” he said.

“And I have had nothing but support from people, which really shines through something so vile and I can see the community are generally worried about things.”

He said he refuses to move since the attack and added: “I will not be letting them re-shape my life and I will be going about my life as normal.”

Police confirmed they were investigating the incident and that no arrests had been made.

People can report information online or call 101, quoting serial 1109 of 11/02.