An Oxford student was threatened by a man with a hammer in the town centre in the early hours of Friday morning.
The Brasenose finalist, who wished to remain anonymous, was intimidated by a man with a hammer and forced to hand over a phone before the man ran away.
The attack took place at 2am just outside the Oxford Union, a short distance away from the relatively busy Cornmarket Street.
The female student was alone and had been speaking on the phone when the man approached and demanded it was handed over.
He then ran away when a passer-by appeared on the scene.
The student declined to comment but stressed that the incident had taken place on a short route which would not normally be considered dangerous.
She had been walking back to Frewin Hall on New Inn Hall Street, an accommodation annex used by Brasenose College, and had followed a simple route along the High Street and Cornmarket, before turning onto St Michael’s Street.
The subsequent encounter on St Michael’s was described as unexpected and unpleasant.
The student emphasised that similar incidents can be avoided as long as students be aware of the risks of walking by themselves late at night. It is suggested that adequate safety measures were taken.
Francesca Golding, a second year Engineer at Brasenose, said, ‘”Oxford’s a big city so it’s to be expected that there will be crimes.
“As students I think we often assume it’s going to be safe and this just goes to show that we should take more care. Also it’s probably worth noting that even though St Michael’s Street is in the centre of town, at night there aren’t that many people going down there so it can be quite intimidating.”
The incident has been reported to police and college authorities. The student involved said the police investigation was looking optimistic.
