'˜Help find the thugs who attacked me with machete'

Attack victim Rick O'Brien has pleaded with the public: 'Help catch the armed thugs who tried to kill me.'
CCTV of attack on Rick O'Brien.CCTV of attack on Rick O'Brien.
CCTV of attack on Rick O'Brien.

The 30-year-old claims he was viciously assaulted by three hooded men with a machete, a baseball bat and a hammer – and had a gun pointed at him – in a late night ambush near his home in Preston.

“If it hadn’t been for passing motorists honking their horns to frighten them off, they would have killed me,” he said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I was lucky to survive and yet no-one has been charged for this almost three months on.”

Rick O'Brien with his wife Kerry, and daughter Kyla, appealing for help to find the three men who tried to kill him in a late night attack near his home. Machete and baseball batsRick O'Brien with his wife Kerry, and daughter Kyla, appealing for help to find the three men who tried to kill him in a late night attack near his home. Machete and baseball bats
Rick O'Brien with his wife Kerry, and daughter Kyla, appealing for help to find the three men who tried to kill him in a late night attack near his home. Machete and baseball bats

The attack came on December 28 in an alleyway which runs behind the old dock offices on Watery Lane, Ashton.

“I was stabbed in the back with the machete, stabbed in the head twice and beaten with the baseball bat several times. I lost so much blood I almost died. While they were doing it they were saying they wanted me dead.

“One had a gun and he pointed it at me, but he didn’t pull the trigger. One of them was shouting, ‘Stab him again.’

“I managed to get away from them and ran into Watery Lane.

Rick O'Brien, appealing for help to find the three men who tried to kill him in a late night attack near his home.Rick O'Brien, appealing for help to find the three men who tried to kill him in a late night attack near his home.
Rick O'Brien, appealing for help to find the three men who tried to kill him in a late night attack near his home.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“In hospital a doctor told me I was lucky to be still here.

“And although it was December, I’m still suffering the after-effects of my injuries.”

Rick, who lives with his partner Kerry in nearby Dart Street, believes the attack follows a long neighbourhood dispute in which he claims his family has been subjected to a campaign of harrrassment.

A police spokesman confirmed three people were questioned the following day, but were released without charge because they weren’t even in Preston on the night of the attack.

Rick O'Brien with his wife Kerry, and daughter Kyla, appealing for help to find the three men who tried to kill him in a late night attack near his home. Machete and baseball batsRick O'Brien with his wife Kerry, and daughter Kyla, appealing for help to find the three men who tried to kill him in a late night attack near his home. Machete and baseball bats
Rick O'Brien with his wife Kerry, and daughter Kyla, appealing for help to find the three men who tried to kill him in a late night attack near his home. Machete and baseball bats
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We remain very much committed to investigating this incident which has seen the victim left with some serious injuries.

“If you have any information that could assist us, please call Lancashire police on 101 quoting incident reference 1542 of December 28.”