Kettering assault victim's shock after he's knocked out in 'mistaken identity' attack

A man who was knocked unconscious by a group of thugs in Kettering town centre believes it may have been a case of mistaken identity.

The 27-year-old - who did not want to be named - was left battered and bruised and needing hospital treatment after the random attack in the early hours of Sunday morning (November 7).

The Irthlingborough man was out with his girlfriend and two friends and had been in Aura before going to go and get some food on his own.

Thirty-five minutes later, when he was yet to return, his partner used the Find My Friends app to see where he was and saw he was in Silver Street.

When she arrived there she found him on the ground, with people around him, after he had been brutally assaulted at about 12.20am.

The shocked assault victim told the Northants Telegraph: "I was outside the kebab shops and then three lads started assaulting me. I was knocked out.

"I'm just assuming they thought I was somebody else. It was completely random.

"There were lots of witnesses but we weren't able to speak to them because my girlfriend wanted to get me to hospital."

The victim was left with a swollen face, cuts and bruises and hospital staff told him he had delayed concussion.

He said it could have been a lot worse but cannot remember much else, or provide a description of his attackers, because he was knocked out.

He said: "I'm still quite in shock about it.

"It's worrying that you can't even go out without knowing what's going to happen."

The man is now urging anyone who was in the area at the time who may have witnessed the attack to contact police.

He said: "If anyone can contact police with some more information with the reference number (21000649670) hopefully they'll be able to find who did it."

A Northamptonshire Police spokesman said the attackers fled in a car and urged anyone with information to contact them on 101.