Thames Valley Police are appealing for witnessesfollowing a stabbing on Iffley Road thattook place on Tuesday.
Thames Valley Police are appealing for witnesses
following a stabbing on Iffley Road that
took place on Tuesday. A 31 year old man was
treated for an injury to his neck sustained in a
fight at the funeral of 76 year old Winnie Joyce,
co-founder of Redbridge Hollow travellers’ site
near Kennington. The service was held at nearby
Greyfriars Church.
A witness told Cherwell that around 20 police
quickly arrived on the scene in an area
renowned for its high proportion of student
accommodation. Although the wound was
later described as “superficial” by the police it
is understood that hospital treatment was required.
As a precaution the road was temporarily
closed to traffic whilst police officers took
control of the scene, the witness claimed.
The funeral had attracted large crowds of
people. The mourners had congregated nearby
the church when, according to the police report,
at around 11.20am a fight broke out between
a number of young men, one of whom
received superficial injuries to the back of his
neck. The alleged stabbing was the climax of a
much larger conflict.
A Thames Valley Police spokesman confirmed
that no arrests were made and it is understood
the man involved failed to press charges.
The police rapidly established a heavy presence
on Iffley Road with, according to Cherwell’s
witness, multiple officers, three cars, a
riot van and a helicopter arriving at the scene
to restore order. The injured man was taken to
the John Radcliffe hospital.
Deputy Inspector John Turner, who was appointed
by Thames Valley Police to lead the investigation,
said, “We believe that this was an
incident between men who knew each other.”
Reports are unconfirmed that those involved
were members of the travelling community.
The fight was witnessed by many of the
students who were living across the street in
college owned accommodation. Noah Evans-
Harding, a second year Medic at Corpus, witnessed
the results of the fight from the window
of his room. He commented, “There was quite
a big crowd down the road by the church. I’m
not sure quite what happened but there was a
big commotion and the next thing I knew the
place was swarming with police. A guy walked
past with a deep 5cm long slash on the back
of his neck. The whole his back was covered in
blood and he was swearing a lot.”
He added, “I was confused but not shocked,
you expect this kind of thing in Iffley.”
Deputy Inspector Turner hastened to stress
that there was no danger posed by the incident
to the local community, stating, “We do not believe
that there is any threat to the wider community
and officers have been working to calm
tensions since the incident happened.”
However the area’s students seem not to have
been intimidated by the event. Ben Houghton,
a fourth year Mathematician from Exeter, commented
“I was stopped at the bottom of Bullingdon
Road by a policeman who said there
was an incident up on the left. All I could see
was sort of superficial fighting, but I guess it
could have been dangerous to go past.”
Ellie Berryman, a second year Lawyer, echoed
these views, commenting, “It doesn’t really
worry me, it wasn’t related to us” before
adding, “It probably would’ve happened anyway.”
Fourth year Physicist Alex Lawson also
commented, “I’m not expecting it to ever happen
again so I’m not really worried.”
A 31 year old man was treated for an injury to his neck sustained in a fight at the funeral of 76 year old Winnie Joyce, co-founder of Redbridge Hollow travellers’ site near Kennington. The service was held at near by Greyfriars Church.
A witness told Cherwell that around 20 police quickly arrived on the scene in an area renowned for its high proportion of student accommodation. Although the wound was later described as “superficial” by the police itis understood that hospital treatment was required. As a precaution the road was temporarily closed to traffic whilst police officers took control of the scene, the witness claimed.
The funeral had attracted large crowds o fpeople. The mourners had congregated nearby the church when, according to the police report,at around 11.20am a fight broke out between a number of young men, one of whom received superficial injuries to the back of his neck. The alleged stabbing was the climax of a much larger conflict.
A Thames Valley Police spokesman confirmed that no arrests were made and it is understood the man involved failed to press charges.
The police rapidly established a heavy presenceon Iffley Road with, according to Cherwell’s witness, multiple officers, three cars, a riot van and a helicopter arriving at the scene to restore order. The injured man was taken to the John Radcliffe hospital.
Deputy Inspector John Turner, who was appointed by Thames Valley Police to lead the investigation, said, “We believe that this was an incident between men who knew each other.” Reports are unconfirmed that those involved were members of the travelling community.
The fight was witnessed by many of the students who were living across the street in college owned accommodation. Noah Evans-Harding, a second year Medic at Corpus, witnessed the results of the fight from the window of his room. He commented, “There was quite a big crowd down the road by the church. I’m not sure quite what happened but there was abig commotion and the next thing I knew the place was swarming with police. A guy walked past with a deep 5cm long slash on the back of his neck. The whole his back was covered inblood and he was swearing a lot.”
He added, “I was confused but not shocked,you expect this kind of thing in Iffley.”
Deputy Inspector Turner hastened to stressthat there was no danger posed by the incident to the local community, stating, “We do not believe that there is any threat to the wider community and officers have been working to calm tensions since the incident happened.”
However the area’s students seem not to have been intimidated by the event. Ben Houghton, a fourth year Mathematician from Exeter, commented “I was stopped at the bottom of Bullingdon Road by a policeman who said there was an incident up on the left. All I could see was sort of superficial fighting, but I guess it could have been dangerous to go past.”
Ellie Berryman, a second year Lawyer, echoed these views, commenting, “It doesn’t really worry me, it wasn’t related to us” before adding, “It probably would’ve happened anyway.” Fourth year Physicist Alex Lawson also commented, “I’m not expecting it to ever happen again so I’m not really worried.”
