A homeless man was ‘urinated on by laughing students’ who verbally abused him and branded him a 'tramp'.
Gary Horton is a rough sleeper who has been homeless for the last three years after he ‘lost everything’ from his life working as a builder in Cookridge, West Yorkshire.
But he has revealed some of the atrocious and vile behaviour he’s been subjected to by passers-by, LeedsLive reported.
This included being urinated on by a student as he slept, in a contemptible episode that left him ‘more upset, than angry’.
The 41-year-old said he was ‘embarrassed and ashamed’ of his predicament and described himself as a loner who spends a lot of his time in the “bottom end” of Leeds's city-centre begging.
Gary chooses to sleep in the stairwells of car parks because they are quiet and ‘warmer’ than elsewhere. He was curled up fast asleep in a car park stairwell when he says a student urinated all over him.
He said: “I’ve been attacked. I’ve been urinated on while I’ve been asleep, spat on and kicked.
"A student urinated on me, there were about two or three of them. They were just laughing and calling me a tramp. I got out of my sleeping bag and chased them. I was more upset than angry.”
The rough sleeper says it has been taking a toll on his mental health as it's been hurting his feelings. He never thought his life would turn out like this.
Gary said: “People don’t treat me very well. I’ve been spat on, kicked, punched. It hurts my feelings. People should take a step back and think, it could be you, it could be anybody. It can happen to anyone, I never thought it would happen to me.
“I feel embarrassed, I’m sat on the floor asking for change. My family are embarrassed and ashamed. I have thought of going back to them but I’m embarrassed and ashamed of myself.”
If you are concerned for someone on the street, you can report it here. Street Link will help members of the public connect rough sleepers with local services that can support them.
