Have-a-go hero becomes victim of mindless thuggery: Battered face of pensioner, 82, who chased off burglars after being beaten up in his home

By INDERDEEP BAINS

The battered face of pensioner Joe Carter, 82, who is in hospital after being brutally beaten by burglars in his own home

Battered, bruised and blood-stained, this is the face of an a 82-year-old man who bravely fought off two burglars.
Joseph Carter was beaten and stabbed in his head and body when he confronted the thugs in his £400,000 house.
The men pinned the retired scrap yard owner to the ground and slashed him several times with a kitchen knife.
Despite the severity of his injuries, the pensioner, who lives alone in Guildford, Surrey, found the strength to see off his attackers.

These graphic photos show the injuries to Mr Carter's hands in the unprovoked attack last Friday

Dripping in blood and badly injured, Mr Carter managed to chase the men out of his home.
He then staggered to a nearby garage where shocked mechanics tried to stem his blood with paper towels. Witnesses said he looked like something out of a horror film.
One employee described seeing the OAP walking towards him soaked in blood. The man, who did not want to be named, said that he had known Mr Carter ‘all his life’ but failed to recognise him at first.
He said: ‘There was this man standing there just covered in blood from head to toe – the blood was literally dripping into his shoes.
‘I was standing there just thinking “How can he still be alive”, but then I realised who it was and said “Joe, Joe, is that you?"

A picture taken from above shows the cuts and wounds that burglars inflicted on the heroic pensioner as he tried to defend his home

‘He said he had been pinned down on his kitchen floor by two men and that they had used a kitchen knife to stab him in the head several times.’ He added: ‘He had been beaten to within an inch of his life, but he could still speak to me.
‘Joe used to run a scrap yard and he’s super tough, but he’s a harmless old man who would never do anyone a wrong turn.
'These people need to be tracked down and caught as soon as possible – if they are capable of doing that to an old man they are a danger to everyone.’

Police have released these shocking photographs of Joe Carter as they appeal for witnesses to the attack

Photos released by Surrey Police show the severity of Mr Carter’s injuries including deep gashes across the top of his head and a cut to his nose so deep it exposed the bone.
He also suffered serious wounds to his hands and arms as he struggled to defend himself during the senseless assault.
Mr Carter is currently in a stable condition in intensive care at Frimley Park Hospital in Camberley.

Mr Carter was attacked in his own home on Aldershot Road in the Normandy area of Guildford. Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward

His neighbours said that he had never married and had no children. It is believed that his only living relative is a sister in her 90s who lives nearby.
The pensioner, who was described as being in good shape for his age, rents out two houses next to his own home and is often seen mowing his lawn or pruning trees in his garden.
Detective Constable Dan Chant said the attack, which took place between 12pm and 4.30pm on Friday, was ‘horrific’ and appealed for witnesses to come forward.
He said: ‘This was an horrific unprovoked attack on an elderly man and I am appealing for any information which might help locate these offenders.’

source: dailymail