Hove man has energy drink thrown at his head by school child

Paul Saks said he was taking the rubbish out of his house when a group of teenagers passed by and one of them started to ridicule him. 

He said the teenager started being aggressive towards him and squared up to him in the street.

After calling the boy "silly" and walking away the 70-year-old said he was struck in the head by a full can of energy drink as the teenager walked away while shouting at him.

Paul with the energy drink can (Image: Andrew Gardner | The Argus)

Paul, of Sackville Road in Hove, said: “He squared up to me and I just called him a silly little boy.

“He backed away shouting expletives and so on and as I bent down to throw my rubbish away something hit me in the back of the head.

“I couldn’t stop shaking for two hours – it triggered my PTSD and I couldn’t stop shaking.

MOST READ:

• Marks & Spencer store to close after decades on high street

• Demolition work to begin to make way for new seafront Premier Inn

• Pub named one of the best places in the UK for a roast dinner

​To have access to all of our best stories subscribe to The Argus here

“I’m quite shocked. I’m not aggressive and I have not had anyone act like that in 12 years. The children are normally polite.

“I want these kids to understand that there are consequences to their actions.”

Paul said that the can struck him in the back of the head on Monday afternoon when the children were walking home from school.

He added that having suffered from PTSD since a horse-riding accident last year, the incident triggered him to become anxious and to start shaking.

He believes that the child was “showing off” to the group of teenagers he was with.

Paul reported the matter to Sussex Police who say they carried out a welfare check.

Paul said he wanted to raise the issue with police in a bid to teach the children involved that their actions have consequences, but he does not want them “unduly punished”.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “Sussex Police received a report of common assault in Sackville Road, Hove, shortly after 4.30pm on Monday, March 18.

“Officers from our Neighbourhood Policing Team have visited the resident affected to complete a welfare check.”