Man arrested following assault in Castle Park – Bristol
There is 1 related update to this story
An investigation is continuing following a series of assaults in a Bristol city centre park.
Detectives are investigating four assaults which have taken place in Castle Park within the past 10 days, and officers are concerned they may be homophobic in nature.
An operation with senior leadership oversight is in place to ensure a full and thorough investigation is carried out into the incidents which have occurred between Sunday 30 November and Friday 5 December.
The latest incident took place on Friday 5 December in which a man in his thirties was struck to the head. He sustained ABH-level injuries and attended hospital for medical treatment.
A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with this latest incident. He’s been interviewed and released on police bail while enquiries continue.
Senior Investigating Officer, DI Alistair Norman, said: “While we remain open-minded about the direction of this investigation and the motivation for the assaults, we are currently treating these incidents as linked.
“We’ve made one arrest and are continuing to speak to the victims, review CCTV footage, and carry out other enquiries to identify the offenders responsible for these concerning incidents.”
The first incident took place on Sunday 30 November at around 1.15am. Two unknown males approached the victim, in his forties, and shone a light in his eyes and struck him in the head, causing him to fall.
The victim sustained injuries to his wrist, back, shoulder and head. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening or life changing.
Two further reports of similar incidents were made in the early hours of Wednesday 3 December between 12.30-1.30am. Both men, aged in their forties and twenties, are not thought to have required medical treatment for their injuries.
At around 11.30pm on Friday (5 December), officers received a fourth report of a man being assaulted in the same area in the same manner. He required medical treatment but was later discharged from hospital.
Descriptions of the suspects were limited due to the time of night, but we believe they are two males, one white, who were both wearing face coverings and dark clothing.
CCTV trawls, interviews and local enquiries have taken place and we urge members of the public to remain vigilant in the area during the hours of darkness.
Bristol Central Neighbourhood Ch Insp John Shaddick said: “We understand this update will be distressing for members of our community. There is no place for hate crime in our city and we will not tolerate such behaviour.
“We are taking matters of public safety in and around Castle Park, and the wider city centre, very seriously and are working closely and engaging with local LGBTQ+ leaders.
“We have implemented a number of measures, including the use of our mounted team, dog units and increased regular foot patrols to enhance visibility, engagement and to deter further criminal activity.
“We also continue to work collaboratively with our partners at Bristol City Council, local businesses and with CCTV operators to ensure a timely police response to incidents, and we remain in regular contact with other community leaders and groups to provide reassurance and updates.”
If you witnessed the incident, have any dashcam, doorbell, mobile or CCTV footage or have any other information which could help us to further our enquiries, please call us on 101 and quote reference 5225345559.
Alternatively, if you do not want to report directly to police, you can report a crime anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or through trusted partners such as Stand Against Racism and Inequality (SARI).
Detectives are also keen to hear from a potential witness who may have seen the first assault on Sunday. He is described by one of the victims as a man of Indian descent with short hair and in his thirties.
If you think this may be you, or you know someone who matches this description, please also get in touch.
If you are a victim of hate crime, please report it to us as soon as it happens. Officers will take your report seriously and seek to bring those responsible to justice. You can report via 101 or, in an emergency, 999, via our website, or at your local police station.