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Man hit with hammer in suspected gambling row
AN elderly Chinese man left hospitalised by a brutal hammer attack in Piccadilly may have been the victim of a gambling dispute.
Mr Kan, 70, was on his way to the Hard Rock Casino in Coventry Street when he was attacked outside Piccadilly Circus tube station on Sunday night at 11.10pm.
He was hit repeatedly on the head and face by a 40-year-old Chinese woman wielding a hammer. He staggered to the casino, bleeding profusely, where staff called the police.
Mr Kan, who speaks only Cantonese, was taken to University College Hospital (UCH) where he was treated for multiple lacerations to his head.
A Cantonese staff member from the casino accompanied him to act as his translator.
No arrests have yet been made, but it is believed both Mr Kan and his suspected female attacker are members of the Hard Rock casino, and that an argument over winnings had escalated out of control.
The attack comes just days after plans to open a high-stakes casino in Bloomsbury were opposed by residents, concerned that it would bring extra crime and disturbance to the area.
A spokesperson for the Rank group, which owns the Hard Rock casino, confirmed that there had been an incident on Sunday evening and said: “Obviously in any incident like this our staff would do their best to resolve the situation.”
A spokesperson for Westminster Police said: “Officers attended the Hard Rock Casino just after 11pm on Sunday evening, where they found the gentleman suffering from head injuries.
“He was taken to UCH hospital to be treated for his injuries.”
Anyone with any information about the attack is advised to call Westminster Police on 020 7321 8872. |
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