A student was left "crying and screaming” after being attacked on his walk home in Liverpool city centre.
Curtis Stewart, 19, was left with two black eyes, a face fracture, and a possible need for dental surgery after a man, who was accompanied by two women, punched and headbutted him on Lord Nelson Street on Monday, June 14.
The first year Liverpool Hope University student, who is studying primary education, said the assault came out of nowhere as he walked alone at 4am after a night out with his sister and her friend who were visiting from Belfast.
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He had just left the two women at their hotel, not wanting them to walk home alone.
Curtis said: “I don’t remember what they shouted to get my initial attention. But I remember turning around and then there was the altercation.
“[The man] started to argue. And then I was just saying to him that I don't know him, I don't know why he’s trying to fight me. I wasn't even speaking to him. I don’t know why he’s even trying to start an argument. And then he hit me, so he did.”
Curtis said the two women briefly held back the man. He added: “I remember one girl apologising for him hitting me at the start and then the other girl was telling me to f*** off before he does it again.”
The 19-year-old gathered his things and ran up the street. The man chased after him and headbutting him before a passerby who was on their way to work stopped to help and Curtis called the police.
While he doesn’t know for certain what motivated the attack, Curtis, who is bisexual, thinks “it possibly could [have been a hate crime] because of the amount of hate crimes that have happened this month.”
Speaking to the ECHO, he said: “It couldn’t have been anything I said or did because I was just walking.”
Curtis said: “He might have seen the way I dress as I was walking up and he might not have liked it. He might have just assumed that I was [LGBT+], but he didn't mention any slur words.”
The teenager told the ECHO he was wearing black flare trousers, a racer jacket and a pearl Vivienne Westwood necklace at the time of the attack.
He referred to an attack last week on a gay couple and their friends by three young men wielding a knife and shouting homophobic abuse that has left Liverpool’s LGBT+ community shaken.
Curtis said of his thoughts during the attack: “I know what people can be like and I know that all people don't think like me, so I can get easily hurt here and I know I'm not a fighter. So anything could have happened.”
He said he is afraid to go out alone and has only left his accommodation for a trip to the shops, wearing sunglasses to hide his bruises.
In a statement to the ECHO, Merseyside Police said: “There is no suggestion whatsoever that it was a homophobic related hate crime.
“The victim did not report that the male offender said or did anything which would suggest it was anything but an unprovoked assault.”
A spokesperson for the force continued: “We are investigating following reports a 19 year-old man was assaulted in Liverpool city centre.
“The man was walking along Lord Nelson Street at around 4am on Monday 14th June when he reported that an unknown male, who was in the company of two females, shouted at him and then assaulted him.
“The 19 year-old became involved in a verbal argument with the male who then headbutted him in the face before walking away. The teenager suffered swelling and soreness to his face and head.
“The male is described as white, 6ft tall, in his late teens or early 20s, of stocky build and with long fair coloured hair.
“CCTV and witness enquiries have been carried out in the local area.
“Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information which could assist is asked to DM @MerPolCC or @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 21000414679.”
