BY JAMES SIMONS
A Southend man may lose his sight, after being attacked by his girlfriend. 44 year old Croatian Tihumane Sekendir was attacked with a mobile phone, straight in his eyes, causing a swelling so bad, doctors think he may have slightly damaged a retina in his left eye.
Sekendir has had previous domestics with his girlfriend of 14 months, whom he admits is a heroine addict.
Sekendir alleges that his girlfriend, who cannot be named because of his request, launched her mobile directly into his eyes with full force. The upper skin of his eye is ripped, and he had to be rushed to the emergency section of Southend hospital last night. Police attended the hospital to quiz him about the attack, but Sekendir said he was not willing to get his girlfriend arrested. Instead, he plans to attend an appointment with a specialist to conduct more extensive tests on his eyes with an operation, a strong possibility.
Southend is gradually becoming known as a town of growing violence. Yesterday, a man was shot with a gun in a tower block, in what was the third shooting in about a one week period. Violence is becoming prevalent in Southend, a town which is a holiday resort in the summer where many Britons converge when the sun is on the high. Its a place of celebration and partying, which brings the drawback of spontaneous violence in many areas there. The rich and poor live there, the good and the bad too. Drug addiction and alcoholism is rife there, alongside a strong social culture. House parties and clubbing, and relaxation in bars, are the attraction of the area in the summer. So also is the craven for addictive substances. And the Croatian says his English girlfriend has a heroine problem and needs help. He is deeply angry at her recent actions, but doesn’t want her arrested by the police and brought before a court of law. Violence of this nature are often heard when men are the perpetrators, and some women endure it in silent too, until it gets dangerously too late.
Sekendir told the eye of media.com, that his girlfriend is addicted to heroine, and is also on methadone which he believes completely distorts her judgment. Yet, he says he loves her and thinks she needs to find the help she needs and shouldn’t be on the streets. He is not capable of any coherent English, a she has not been in the country long. However, those close to the pair say he has tried hard to endure some of her outbursts and violence. It is not the first time he has been attacked by his girlfriend. The injury on his eyes is so bad that he could possibly eventually lose his sight in that eye. Only a few months ago,a 28 year Southend girl was charged for stabbing a 42 year old man several times in the arm, causing him a huge loss of blood. How a 42 year old man was stabbed several times by a girl 14 years his senior, is anybody’s guess, but it happened. She is on remand awaiting trial this summer, and the victim has moved home and been giving a better , secure accommodation outside the Southend area, as part of the witness protection scheme.
