Part 4. Listen and Relax.
Keywords
street violence, help, walked past.
Vocabulary
push off, horrific, stitch.
You're going to hear an interview on how people respond to street violence. Listen and enjoy. And now the third program in our series"What would you do?".
Today we look at the way people respond to street violence.
Would you go to help someone in trouble in the street? of course most people would say yes, but it isn't as easy as that as Stephen Marriott, a 32-year-old football coach, found out one cold night in Gateshead.
Stephen, you were the victim of an attack in the street once, weren't you? That's right, yeah, a couple of years ago now.
What happened exactly? Well, I was walking home one evening, it was about 10:30, I suppose, when I heard someone screaming and I saw these two teenage lads kicking an old man on the ground.
So you went to help? That's right. In fact, there were two other men walking past at the same time, but they didn't do anything. Just walked past, I couldn't believe it.
Anyway, I shouted at the two lads to stop, but they just said "Push off" or words to that effect.
So I went to help the old man and one of them hit me over the head with a brick.
Didn't that knock you out? Well, nearly, I think I was only half-conscious.
And they grabbed my arms and cut my face with a piece of broken glass. Then they run away.
It all sounds absolutely horrific. Wasn't there anyone around to help you?
No, it all happened so fast. So anyway, I lay there, I didn't feel a thing at the time, I remember that.
Then I told the old man to get away. He was still there, was he?
Yes, but he could walk so he went off and then I went into a pub to ask for help to get to the police station.
I only realized later that I was covered in blood.
Several people ignored me but in the end a woman gave me a lift to the police station, which was very good of her.
How badly were you hurt? Well, I had to have several stitches in my head and on my face.
I was in a pretty bad state, you know, mentally for quite a time. Couldn't sleep, had nightmares and all that.
And of course I'll always have a scar on my face.
Did the police catch the boys in the end? Yes, one got two years in prison and the other got fifteen months.
But they only served part of their sentences. I see them on the streets occasionally and, well, it makes me very bitter.