A devastated son has told of how his father was brutally attacked and stabbed multiple times after informing an ‘erratic’ cyclist he shouldn’t be riding on the pavement.
Police have launched an attempted murder investigation following the attack on the ‘true gent’, 67, at Shannon’s Corner in south west London on Monday evening.
Charlie O’Grady, 35, described his father as ‘the strongest stubbornest man’ he had ever met and as someone who was ‘unwilling to collect his pension’.
A man in his 20s has been arrested after the victim was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Mr O’Grady is now raising money for his parents via GoFundMe to help them until his father is ‘back on his feet’.
He said: ‘My father was brutally attacked and stabbed multiple times at Shannon’s Corner on Monday evening for simply telling an erratic cyclist he shouldn’t be on the pavement. My mother witnessed the whole thing.’
Mr O’Grady described his parents as unlikely to want to ‘accept a penny’ of financial help and so said he was resorting to going behind their back in setting up the page.
He added: ‘I’m riddled with worry about both of them, until he’s walking out the hospital door and getting in my car, I will be. My sisters and brothers have all come together to be there for dad and mum and all dad keeps telling us all is don’t stress, but I know deep down everyone else is as much as me.
‘Again I’ll be vilified for this but this I feel is the only way for them to accept any help as I genuinely believe they won’t accept it from anyone! Just to help them until he’s back on his feet! And mark my words he will be!’
He concluded by saying his father is the ‘strongest stubbornest man’ he had ‘ever met’ with ‘the biggest heart’ and a ‘true Gentle Giant’.
The Met Police said: ‘At 7pm on June 23, officers and the London Ambulance Service responded to reports of an assault near Shannons Corner, New Malden.
‘A 67-year-old man was found at the scene with stab wounds. He was taken to hospital for treatment, where his injuries were not deemed life-threatening or life-changing.
‘A man in his 20s was arrested yesterday on suspicion of attempted murder. He remains in police custody. Enquiries are ongoing.’
Donations can be made to Mr O’Grady’s GoFundMe here.
