Mystery of Hucknall man 'left for dead' after night out

A fight for justice has been launched after a Hucknall man woke up in a pool of blood in the middle of the night at a pub car park.
Sharon Toulson with husband Mark who, she says, was 'left for dead' after a brutal assault.Sharon Toulson with husband Mark who, she says, was 'left for dead' after a brutal assault.
Sharon Toulson with husband Mark who, she says, was 'left for dead' after a brutal assault.

Mark Toulson, 55 of North Hill Avenue, cannot remember anything that happened as he walked home from a Saturday night out in Hucknall town centre.

But his family insist he was the victim of a brutal assault and are demanding answers.

Wife Sharon said: “Mark was left for dead and is lucky to be alive. This was attempted murder, and the culprits are still out there .”

The mystery unfolded when Mark, a self-employed painter and decorator, left the H2O bar on High Street some time after 1am on Sunday, January 12.

Rather than go straight home, he decided to spend the night at a house on nearby Titchfield Street that he rents out but was empty at the time. So, he took a short cut through the car park at the back of the Red Lion pub.

“The next thing he knew, he woke up on the floor, wet through as it was raining, and in a pool of blood,” said Sharon. “His head was killing him.

“Luckily, his house was just across the road, so he got home and went to sleep. But when I rang him the next morning, he could barely get to the phone and his pillow was covered in blood.

“He didn’t sound right, so I drove round. When I got him home, he started fitting and passing out, so I rang 999.”

Within five minutes, Mark was being rushed to hospital with ambulance sirens blaring.

“I thought I was going to lose him,” said Sharon, 48. “At the hospital, he went straight into resus.

“He had a brain scan, which was fine. But he had been booted in the head. He had lumps on his face and his ears were swollen where they had stamped on him.”

Fortunately, nothing was broken and Mark was allowed home later that day. But he has been off work ever since and is still suffering from dizzy spells, headaches and shooting pains. Sharon is angry that the police have not been in touch with her since the incident. But they insist it is still under investigation.

A spokesperson said: “We are trying to establish the circumstances surrounding the injuries, including looking at CCTV in the area. Anyone who saw anything is encouraged to come forward.”