Man badly wounded in 'shocking' stabbing

A MAN stabbed with a knife near the Happy Landings is today recovering in hospital. The victim suffered multiple wounds in the road outside the pub and was rushed to the PEH soon after 9pm on Friday.

Witnesses who rushed to help the victim were shocked by what they saw.

'There was blood pumping out of him,' said Happy Landings landlady Shanine Armstrong, 42.

'We got him down the road so we could get some towels round him.

'We were just trying to keep him awake because he kept passing out. It was really bad.

'There was so much blood on his T-shirt ' it was shocking.

A spokesman for the Princess Elizabeth Hospital said that the victim was in a stable condition in a general surgical ward.

Miss Armstrong's partner, Alan Opie, 47, landlord at the Happy Landings, Le Bourg, Forest, witnessed an incident outside the pub and believed the man was stabbed a number of times.

A fight had broken out earlier that evening following an argument in the bar.

One person left and the windows of a car were found smashed.

About 45 minutes later, Mr Opie overheard a telephone conversation in the bar which indicated that someone was coming back to the pub.

Sensing trouble, Mr Opie ran out to stop the man from entering the premises.

'I went to tell him he was barred and wasn't allowed back in and with that he pulled the knife out he had up his sleeve. I didn't expect that.

'The man with the knife did not make any threats and I remained calm, trying to ease the situation.

'I said: 'The best thing you can do is to go home'.'

However, two others walked out of the pub and up the road to confront the man holding the knife. The landlady, standing at the door of the pub, called police.

Mr Opie warned the two men that the person he was talking to had a knife.

An incident then allegedly occurred and Mr Opie said that one man was stabbed several times.

'I was shocked. The guy was bleeding badly,' said Mr Opie.

He added that several other men managed to get hold of the the knife and police arrived at about 9.30pm.

Miss Armstrong helped officers identify those present and added that she did not expect incidents like this in Guernsey, least of all outside her pub.

'The Landings is always busy and a brilliant place where everybody enjoys themselves,' she said.

But she added that people ' locals and guest workers alike ' were now more willing to use violence.

'Guernsey up until recently used to be a safe place. But with armed robberies and things like that, it makes you wonder what it's coming to. Are people still going to feel safe? How can somebody with a heart do that?'

Detective Inspector Phil Breban appealed for anyone who might have been in the Happy Landings at any time on Friday evening to contact the CID on 725111 or the Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.

Officers would also like to speak to anyone driving past at the time of the incident, at about 9pm.

'We would like to thank those members of the public who have already responded to appeals for witnesses,' said DI Breban.

A friend of the injured man was shocked to hear that he had allegedly been attacked.

Marcel Walden, 27, plays football with the victim and described his popular team-mate as 'happy-go-lucky' .

'He's a gentle giant and he's got a really big personality.'

He added that his friend had just started his own company.

'Everything just seemed to be right for him.'

* A 31-year-old man has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and is due in the Magistrate's Court today.