Grieving son knocked out in random street assault

David Richards was mourning the death of his dad when he was attacked in the street

David Richards suffered a deep gash on his face and was in hospital for eight days after being assaulted on Leith Walk.

The 38-year-old told how he was still mourning the death of his dad, also David, below, whose funeral was held days earlier, when he decided to go for a walk at 9.30pm. He was deep in thought when he walked near the Volunteer Arms pub and said the last thing he remembered before being knocked out was hearing voices behind him.

He awoke around 30 minutes later to find doctors stitching together a wound on his forehead and later learned that hospital staff feared he could slip into a coma.

Now recovering at home in Pilrig, Mr Richards said: "I have had sleepless nights since I got out of hospital.

"I'm a 38-year-old man and don't like to go out after 7pm now.

"I just got the stitches out and they've left a deep scar across the bridge of my nose and forehead. That's me scarred for life now."

Mr Richards doesn't recall being confronted or getting involved in an altercation before he blacked out during the incident on March 16.

"I think I might have been punched from behind and it knocked me right out. I must have hit a kerb or something because of the damage to my face.

"I don't think there was a weapon used and I haven't got a clue who phoned the ambulance."

A police spokesman appealed for witnesses.