Roofer fends off bottle attackers with broken guitar

A FATHER-of-two armed with only a broken guitar fended off an attack by two men in which his throat was cut.

John O'Mara, 48, needed 26 stitches to his wrist, neck, ear and chest following the attack near his home in Muirhouse.

The roofer suffered a three inch cut to his throat, two cracked ribs, a bruised chest bone, a black eye and a bruised cheek bone after being hit over the head with a bottle and stabbed.

Today he said he was relieved to be back home and said: "I'm still a bit dizzy. I'm stunned by what happened. It was totally unexpected."

The roofer, who is currently unemployed, said the incident happened after he went to pick up his girlfriend Susan Airlie, 29, from a flat on Oxcars Court at 6.30pm on Wednesday.

He said he was attacked and at one point fended off his attackers with a broken guitar.

He added: "By this time I was covered in blood but I was more worried about my girlfriend. I didn't realise how badly I was bleeding until I looked at my clothes."

Miss Airlie had managed to escape from the scene and phoned the emergency services.

Mr O'Mara was taken to the Royal Infirmary by ambulance, where he underwent a CAT scan and several X-rays. He was released at around 2.30pm yesterday.

Two men, aged 32 and 34, have been charged with attempted murder.