Student nurse who suffered fractured skull in Doncaster baseball bat attack speaks out after thug jailed

Brad Scarrott, 23, had been mourning the death of a pal with drinks with friends in Hall Gate when he was smashed around the head with a metal baseball bat more than two years ago.

The attack fractured his skull in seven places and has left him with vision problems as well as post traumatic stress disorder. Luckily, surgeons managaed to save his left eye after being told that there was an 80% chance he would lose his sight.

Earlier this month, attacker Emrah Ormangoren was jailed for two years at Sheffield Crown Court after pleading guilty to wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm. He was also given a three month concurrent sentence for possessing an offensive weapon in public.

Now Brad, who lives in Balby has bravely spoken out about his ordeal – and how he was attacked after challenging the man about spiking drinks in a Doncaster bar.

He said: “It has been a terrible two years since the attack.

"Now he is behind bars I feel that I can finally get some peace and start going out again. I just want people to know that things like this can happen.”

Brad had been drinking with friends in Doncaster on August 30, 2019 following a friend’s funeral.

While they were in Flares on Hall Gate, Brad noticed a man spiking drinks – including that of an old female school friend – and challenged him.

He said: “I had a go at him and asked him what he was doing. I told him to pack it in, there was a bit of debate and he walked out of the pub and I thought that was the end of it.”

But shortly afterwards, as Brad and his friends made their way towards Lazarus Court, Ormangoren leapt out of a car, raced across the street and attacked him with a metal baseball bat from behind.

Brad was sent spiralling into a wall following the attack and was rushed to hospital, losing a considerable amount of blood.

He underwent surgery, with metal plates inserted into his head, while surgeons also had to remove shattered bone from his eye, saving his sight which he was at risk of losing.

At the time of the attack, Brad’s dad Dave said: “The hospital said it could have killed him because they hit him right on the temple.”

He has also undergone counselling – and still gets flashbacks about the early hours attack. He has lost peripheral vision in his left eye and needs to use eye drops several times a day.

He also believe his height – he is 6ft 6in – saved him from more serious injuries.

"The doctors told me that because I was so told, he had to reach up to hit me and that took some of the impact out of the attack. If I had been smaller they say it could have killed me.”

Brad bravely went along to see Ormangoren sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court.

"He didn’t look at me once,” he said. “I had to go along and get some closure.”

Brad says he has called on South Yorkshire Police to publicise details of the sentencing and added: “I do feel a bit let down.

"I’m a decent lad and when I saw what was going on, I had to do something to step in and help.

"There’s a lot of spiking going on at the moment and if I hadn’t done something, who know what might have happened to those girls?

"I don’t want to be treated as a hero but people need to be aware what’s going on in Doncaster.”

"Now he’s in jail I feel a lot safer. Because he attacked me from behind, I never knew what he looked like, so every time I went out I’d be wondering ‘is that him?’

"It has been a very difficult time and it was daunting to go along to court but I am glad I did as I now feel I can move on.”