04/09/2023
There was an incident in Holywells park this evening when I was threatened by a group of 7 youths on bicycles, 13 to 15 years of age approx. I was walking my 2 dogs at the time. They apporached me at speed across he whole width of the path. They kicked a bin and a sign right in front of me in which I can only describe as an aggressive act. I managed to put my two dogs behind me but as the last of them too near for comfort I had to deflect him away (without any injury to the cyclist)
All of them then stopped and threw their bikes to the ground and turned on me in an aggressive and threatening manner. I told them that I was a Krav Maga instructor and that they should just walk away. They actually mocked me and moved closer in an ever threatening manner, so I rang the police as I did not want to have a physical conflict with kids.
Long story short, one of the older kids started to descalate the situation by telling the others that it was not worth it to continue, I had the police on speaker phone at the time so they heard everything.
I met the police at the end of the evening at the park gates and they told me that I was a victim of common assault, also another guy (unbeknown to me at the time was jumped on by one or more of the same group) and was also a victim of common assault.
The police asked me what action I would want to be taken if the perpeptrators were caught. I said a talking to about the consequences of their actions for their own good.
I am 69 years old and have over 30 years martial arts experience and am now a certified and licensed Krav Maga instructor.
Their first mistake was just assuming that I was an old man.
If you wkitnessed this event or have any videos of the event itself or know who they were then please contact Suffolk police quoting ref sc-04092023-337.